Chasing Sunbeams and Paper Flowers
by RhysMerilot
Summary: For seven years, all thanks to a pen pal program designed for juvenile delinquents, Emma Swan and Regina Mills became and remained friends through the letters that they continued to exchange every month, and throughout many life changing events, their relationship begins to evolve past friendship into something more…
1. Chapter 1

**_First, I'd like to make note of the fact that this is a slow burn Swan Queen story. In this story, Regina marries Daniel, Emma hooks up with Neal, Hook is all but a brief mention as a horrible coworker for just a very brief moment in time. This story focuses on them, on Swan Queen in an Alternate Universe, and it is about their story in the end. There's not much more I can say without giving the story away, so I hope any and all who read this will enjoy it and stick through it until the end :)_**

 ** _This was written for the Swan Queen Big Bang IV: Four Letter Words, originally posted on AO3 on February 12th_**

* * *

 **Part I**

At fifteen, Emma Swan thought she ruled the world, breaking the rules and setting her own, living as free as she could manage while pissing off every authority figure in her life. From her parents, to teachers, to the principal who had it out for her from day one, to the cops she had run-ins with on a regular basis, and now Neal Cassidy, a correctional officer at the Tallahassee Youth Detention Center.

"Well?"

"Well what?" Emma asked, defiantly crossing her arms over her chest as she stared at the man. "I didn't do it."

"I have seven witnesses, Swan. Seven."

"So what?" Emma scoffed. "Doesn't mean I did it."

Neal Cassidy sighed and ran his fingers through his short hair. "Swan, I know you did it. I even saw you with my own two eyes, and before you come up with a sarcastic, bullshit answer, I want you to own up to what you did."

Emma smirked and raised an eyebrow at the CO. It wasn't her first stint in a juvenile detention center, and she knew it wasn't going to be her last. She had seen it all in there, from fights to someone almost dying after being shanked by a toothbrush. The latest incident wasn't her fault, not exactly. She wasn't the one who started throwing the disgusting mashed potatoes around the cafeteria, but she had the misfortune of hitting the CO dead in the face with a handful of undercooked peas.

"You know you're getting written up for what you did."

"What about everyone else?" Emma asked. "I wasn't the one who started it!"

"I have statements that say otherwise."

"Bullshit," Emma snapped and she uncrossed her arms and gripped at the arm of the chair she was sitting in. "You want to know who started it? That bitch Lily Page. If anyone should be in trouble for what went down, it should be her."

"Swan, you know this is your third strike and you're supposed to be out of here at the end of the month. You take this strike and you're in solitary until you are released."

"Shit," Emma muttered under her breath. Solitary was the worst and the last thing she wanted was to be in the hole. "What do you want me to do? Apologize?"

"That would be a good start," Cassidy smiled at her. "We've started a new program here, a pen pal program. You write a letter to—"

"How lame."

"You write a letter to someone in another state, someone your own age but from a different walk of life," he continued. "I think you'd benefit from this."

"By writing a letter to a stranger?"

"Wouldn't hurt to give it a shot," he smiled at her before he reached for a binder on the shelf behind his desk. "What do you say, Swan?"

"Who else is doing this?"

"A couple of others that are no longer here and I don't expect to see them back," he said and he opened the binder before sliding it towards her. "Pick one."

Emma rolled her eyes and slid forward on the hard chair, scanning over the list of names printed out. Several of them had a line crossed through and there were some near the bottom of the page that had been written in instead of typed up. One name in particular seemed to stand out and it was one near the top, in between all the other names that had already been crossed out.

"Regina Mills," Emma said. "Storybrooke, Maine. Shit, are you for real? There is a place called Storybrooke?"

"Seems so," Cassidy replied and he reached for a pen in the holder. "She's been on the list since we started. I'm sure she'll be wondering why she hasn't gotten a letter since she joined the program."

"Right."

She watched him copy down the address and the girl's name on a post-it before he placed it on top of an empty envelope and made sure there was a stamp on it. He grabbed a couple of pieces of paper and another pen before handing it over to her.

"I have to write it now?" Emma asked and he nodded his head. "What do I even write? Wouldn't it be easier to, I dunno, use e-mail or something?"

"That's not the point of the program and this is the old-fashioned way, Swan. I'll give you as long as you need to write the letter and personally mail it for you myself at the end of my shift," he said and he leaned back in his chair. "Introduce yourself to start it off. Maybe even talk about what you did to land in here again."

"How long does it have to be?"

"However long you'd like for it to be, but keep it appropriate."

"I do this and you won't write me up?" Emma asked and all she got was a gruff nod of his head before his phone rang and he answered promptly. "Whatever. It's just a stupid letter to a stranger."

 _Dear Regina Mills,_

 _My name is Emma Swan. I'm fifteen, turning sixteen at the end of October, and I live in Tallahassee, Florida. It's boring here, never anything interesting to do except go to the beach on the weekends sometimes, though it's not close by. I'm stuck in juvie for another month. Not my first time at the rodeo, probably not the last either. Funny story about how I got in here again and it all started three weeks ago when my friend Lily thought it'd be funny to spray paint a penis on the principal's car…_

[X]

Regina Mills breezed in through the front door of 108 Mifflin Street at exactly three in the afternoon. She placed her book bag near the steps before walking through the foyer and into the kitchen. Like every afternoon when she arrived home from school, her mother was waiting for her in the kitchen with a cup of hot apple cider, and the dozens of college and university pamphlets laid out on the island countertop.

"Hello Mother," Regina smiled before she took a seat on the stool in her usual spot.

"Did you have a good day, dear?"

"Yes, I did, Mother," she replied and she reached for the mug of hot apple cider.

Since she turned sixteen in February, her mother had begun to pressure her with college applications, turning every afternoon into her trying to make the right choice for her future and in some cases, practicing writing an essay that would be sent along with her admission form. Cora Mills was dead set on her becoming a doctor, but Regina's passion was in teaching and she had always dreamt of being a teacher one day. Cora Mills had disapproved of her dream, her passion, time and time again, but it never stopped her from dreaming of her future as a teacher.

Her mother was pushing for her to go to Yale, her alma matter, and while Regina knew she could get the best education at that university, she really wanted to go to school in Florida or even California to get as far away from Storybrooke as she could manage. Money was no object as her parents had promised her she could go to any college she wanted to, but Regina already had her hopes riding on a full-ride scholarship so she wouldn't be financially tied to her parents once she graduated from high school in two years.

"You got a letter today," Cora said and she picked up a single white envelope from the mail pile near her and handed it to Regina with a light scoff. "It's from that program for juvenile delinquents that you signed up for last year."

"Oh?" Regina looked at her mother curiously. "I don't remember signing up for a program like that."

"Ah, that was the one I signed you up for," Cora said and she shook her head. "Regardless, this will look good on your applications. It'll broaden your interests and it can be considered as volunteer work seeing as you'll be exchanging letters with a convict who just so happens to be your age."

Regina looked at the sloppy writing on the front of the envelope before she flipped it over and opened it carefully. When Cora cleared her throat, she placed the envelope down just off to the side and picked up the package from Yale.

"You may read it after we've gone over the guidelines," Cora said tightly. "Now, tell me what the basic requirements are in order to apply, starting with the minimum grade point average."

An hour after going over the Yale package, which she had been practically forced to memorize in recent weeks, Regina was in her room with the letter sitting on her bed in front of her. She pulled open the single piece of paper and struggled to read through the horrible handwriting. A few lines in, her face went red at the girl's colorful language and she was glad she hadn't been permitted to read it in front of her mother because she would've had to explain her embarrassment over reading the word "penis".

It was a short letter, barely half a page, but she'd be lying if she claimed not to be intrigued by Emma Swan. She picked up the letter and walked over to her desk. She pulled out a piece of her personalized stationary that smelled faintly of roses and she began to write her back, her cursive elegantly perfect due to hours upon hours of practice when she was younger.

 _Dear Emma,_

 _I am sixteen as well and as you know, I live in a town called Storybrooke in Maine. It is a small town, smaller than Tallahassee, but there is plenty to do here, things I'm sure you would find boring as they are not particularly exciting in any way…_

Her letter was twice as long as the one she'd received and writing, whether it was for school or for pleasure, was another passion of hers and one she enjoyed immensely. She wrote about her life in Storybrooke, keeping the details to a minimum as this girl was a perfect stranger. She finished it off with a few questions before signing her name at the bottom.

Her plan was to mail the letter on the way to school the next morning, but for three weeks, the letter sat on her desk, almost forgotten about until one Saturday morning when she stumbled across it and made a quick trip to the post office to mail the letter off. Whether she received a reply or not, she'd done her part.

"Regina?"

She turned just as she was about to exit the small post office at the familiar voice of a boy in her English class. Daniel. With a smile she walked over to where he stood at the counter, filling out a form to send a package out of state.

"Hello Daniel."

"Didn't expect to see you here today," he said with a sweet smile. "I don't see you outside of school that much anymore since you stopped riding."

"Rocinante had to be put down," she said quietly, the pain of losing her best friend in the entire world still very fresh and deep. "The vet found a tumor in his brain during his annual check-up."

"I'm sorry," Daniel frowned. "I had wondered since I hadn't seen him at the stables. I thought maybe your father had him sent over to the Jefferson farm."

Regina smiled politely and watched him as he fidgeted nervously. She didn't even know his last name and only knew him from school and from her time spent riding her horse on the Andrews' farm. He was from a poor family, his background completely the opposite of her own, but unlike her mother, things like that didn't bother her at all.

"I'm sorry to be so forward, but I've been trying to find a way to ask you out on a date," Daniel said in a rush and before she could reply, he continued, his face growing red. "It's just that you are very beautiful, Regina, and I'd love to get to know you better. Even if this date doesn't work out, I'd like to be friends."

"I'd love to," Regina smiled and she placed a hand on his arm. "I'd love to go out on a date with you, Daniel, but before I can do that, there is something I need to know."

"What's that?"

"Your last name," Regina replied quietly. "I don't know what it is."

"Daniel Von Gonnadie."

"Be serious," Regina laughed.

"Daniel Farmer," he said quietly. "Yeah, you can start with the jokes just like everyone else—"

"I think I like Von Gonnadie better," Regina smirked and he seemed to relax, the color in his red cheeks fading as he too started to laugh. "So, Daniel Farmer, where are you taking me on this date?"

"It'll be a surprise."

Regina hated surprises, but she smiled anyway. Her life was so structured and dominated by her mother that she had never had the chance to go out on a proper date with a boy. Daniel would be the first and she couldn't help but wonder just how their first date would go. Would he kiss her at the end of the night or would he be nothing but a perfect gentleman? Already she could feel the butterflies starting to take flight in her stomach and by the time she left the post office, she had forgotten all about the letter she'd sent to Emma, and her mind was focused solely on Daniel.

[X]

It was a sunny day in September, a Thursday, when Emma was released to her parents after doing her time once again. Her mother would barely look at her, barely said two words to her as they walked to the car, but her father had started to talk about taking a trip that weekend to go fishing.

"David, I don't think now is the time to think about taking Emma on a fishing trip."

"Mary Margaret, we've already talked about this. Emma has been away for almost two months. It'll be good for her to have this weekend before she goes back to school next week."

Emma sat squished between them in her father's old brown Ford pick-up, a vehicle that he'd had since before she was even born and refused to get rid of. Her backpack was in the bed of the truck, strapped down with old yellow rope and sitting alongside to her father's toolbox. It was a long drive home and if her parents were already bickering, she knew it would feel a hundred times longer than it actually was.

"Did you stay out of trouble?" Her mother asked quietly and Emma nodded, fiddling with the knobs on the radio to try and find a station to her liking. "Emma?"

"What Mom?" Emma sighed. "I stayed out of trouble this time, all right!"

"I don't want you going back," she said quietly. "This is the last time, do you understand me?"

"Whatever," Emma muttered. "Dad, can we stop and get a burger? The food there sucked and I feel like I'm starving to death."

"Of course we—"

"No," Mary Margaret said firmly and the tone of her voice made even David jump a little bit. "We are going home and we are going to have a nice family dinner. A nice home-cooked meal that we are going to eat at the table, not in front of the TV."

Emma slouched in the seat as far as she could and the hot Florida sun made the cab feel ten times hotter even though both windows were open. She closed her eyes and groaned quietly, knowing that once she was home, her mother would list off the rules she would have to follow, rules she would follow for at least a week before doing everything she could to break them.

Nobody spoke during the last of the forty minute drive to the house and as soon as Emma was out of the truck, she grabbed her bag and headed around to the back door, letting herself in with her own key and made a dash straight upstairs to her bedroom.

Like the last time she'd come home, her room wasn't how she'd left it. Her mother had taken it upon herself once again to clean every square inch of the tiny room; her things neatly put away, her bed made with freshly washed sheets, and not a single piece of clothing on the floor. Emma hated it when it was that clean, but she hated it even more that her mother had touched her things and moved them.

She stripped out of the clothes she had on and after rifling through her dresser drawers, she found her favorite pair of board shorts and pulled them on. She found a white tank top neatly folded in her top drawer and pulled it on.

"Emma?" Her father said as he knocked on her closed bedroom door. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah."

Emma picked up her bag and dumped it on her bed as her father entered the room. He chuckled as he leaned up against her desk and crossed his arms over his chest. "I see that you're getting settled right away."

"Why does Mom have to clean my room?" Emma asked, tossing her clothes to the floor by the hamper that she had been allowed to wear on Thursdays at the detention center if she had a clean week with no strikes or warnings written up. "She knows how much I hate it when she touches my stuff."

"You know your mother lives for a clean, organized home. Most of the time," he smiled at her and shook his head as she tossed her bag on the floor and kicked it under the twin sized bed. "So, how about that fishing trip this weekend, Em?"

"But Mom said—"

"I'll talk to her about it."

Emma nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Dad?"

"Yeah, kiddo?"

"I—" She stopped short and frowned deeply. "Never mind."

"What's on your mind?"

"Nothing, I just—I missed being home, that's all. I really hate that place."

"Well, I guess you could try and not end up back there again," he said quietly. "What can we do to help you to make sure you don't go back?"

"I dunno, Dad."

"Your mother wants to send you to therapy—"

"What? Hell no!"

"Emma, can you at least give it a shot? We keep trying to understand why you keep getting into trouble. We're concerned that this is only going to escalate and get worse."

"I'm not going to end up killing someone," she said before muttering under her breath, "If that's what you're worried about."

David sighed and pulled an envelope out of his back pocket. "This came for you this morning. I didn't know you knew anyone in Maine."

"Oh," Emma said as she stood up from the bed and took the letter from him. "This new CO put me in this pen pal program, hooked me up with some girl in Maine."

"That's nice."

"It's lame."

"Maybe not as lame as you think it is," he chuckled. "Put it this way, if you two keep exchanging letters, you could end up becoming friends despite how far away she lives. And who knows, maybe this girl has a good head on her shoulders and will end up rubbing off on you in a good way."

"That's a stretch."

"What part?"

"All of it. I wrote to her like a month ago. You said it came this morning?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Dinner will be ready in an hour. Can you promise me that you'll try to be civil with your mother tonight? She's been having a rough time with her students and with you going back to the detention center—"

"I'll be civil," Emma sighed. "What's for dinner?"

"Convinced her to make hamburgers," he smiled. "Are you going to open that?"

"Yeah," Emma said as she looked down at the letter in her hand.

Once her father had left the room, she sat back down on her bed and tore the envelope open, surprised to find the letter a full page long, the cursive elegant and neat. Laying back on her bed, she began to read the letter, at first a little uninterested, but then she started to laugh when she read what Regina had to say about her vandalizing the principal's car with a giant penis.

If there was one thing that CO Neal Cassidy had been right about, Regina Mills was from a very different kind of life compared to her own. Before she even finished reading the letter, she was already at her desk, pulling out a piece of paper from her math notebook and she was writing her answers to the questions Regina had asked her.

By the time her mother called her down for dinner, she had written and rewritten almost a page to Regina, rewriting because her printing was a complete mess and her cursive even worse. The second one was taken with a little more care, and not even in school did she ever take her time in making sure the things she wrote was legible. She wasn't sure why she suddenly cared, it was only a letter to a perfect stranger after all, but by the time she signed her name on the bottom, her mother had called her down for a second time.

Her mind was on the things that Regina had written to her and it stayed with her throughout dinner. Her parents talked about her getting caught up in school, but for once she didn't pay attention to that conversation, she just wondered how long it'd take for Regina Mills to write back to her this time around.

[X]

Two weeks passed since Emma had sent the letter, her mother surprised to say the least when she asked for some stamps to send it off. She even let her mother read Regina's letter and proof read the one she was sending back to her. Emma was certainly surprised that her mother supported the pen pal program she'd gotten herself involved in just to keep from landing in solitary, but that was a little bit of information she had kept to herself.

It was a rather hot Wednesday afternoon in mid-October when Emma came home from school to a letter from Regina Mills, this time it hadn't taken almost a month for her to reply. Emma tucked the envelope in her back pocket and grabbed a cold can of Coke from the fridge before she left her bag by the side door and headed up to her room.

She turned on her CD player, Freak On A Leash blasting on repeat as she laid back on her bed and tore open the letter. A single paper flower fell out with the two pieces of stationary that had been meticulously folded. With a smirk, she picked up the paper flower, a tulip, folded from a delicate piece of yellow paper.

 _Dear Emma,_

 _I must say that I was surprised to find your letter. I thought you wouldn't have written back to me after it had taken me so long to mail it to you. Life got in the way, of course. Your birthday is coming up, isn't it? I wasn't sure what to get you, sixteen is a big milestone, so I thought maybe you'd like the tulip I made for you. It's ridiculous, I know, but when in doubt, something made instead of something bought ends up meaning a lot more._

Emma picked up the paper flower and fiddled with it until it was no longer flat. It was neat, she had to admit that, and she'd never been able to fold something that looking like anything—aside from paper airplanes she made in class of course. She twirled it once more before continuing to read.

 _I think I have a boyfriend now and his name is Daniel. He is very kind, and he makes me laugh in ways that no one else ever has. Mother doesn't approve of course, she thinks my time would be better spent preparing for my future. Do you have a boyfriend?_

 _What are you doing for your birthday? Are your parents throwing you a big party? Mine did and it was ridiculous, but I loved every minute of it. My father gifted me my first car, although I cannot drive it on my own until I pass my driving test. I'll let you in on a little secret, I've failed it three times already and it is the first time I've ever failed at anything. Daniel is teaching me how to drive out in the countryside. He's already given me three lessons and well, every time I do well at what he teaches me, he kisses me._

 _One day, I would love to take a road trip and forget about the rest of the world. Do you ever dream of doing such things? I don't know where I'd go, maybe I'll drive down to Florida and surprise you one day. Wouldn't that be something, Emma, to have a perfect stranger showing up at your door out of nowhere, completely unannounced and unexpected? I do have your address, after all._

Emma chuckled quietly and shook her head. The way Regina wrote, she knew she was prim and proper, innocent compared to the life that Emma lived. The way she spoke about her boyfriend made it seem like she'd never had one before. Emma wondered how she'd react when she wrote back and told her that she'd not only had a boyfriend before, but a girlfriend as well.

She moved from her bed to her desk, ripping out paper from her math notebook she barely used anyway, already beginning to write back to the girl in Maine before she finished reading the rest of the letter. She had finished it by the time her mother came home and called her down to help with the groceries, but this time she didn't let her mother proof read as there were some things she'd written she'd much rather not have her mother know.

Especially those things about Lily Page and the six months they'd spent being a little more than just friends.

"Did you have a good day today, Emma?" Mary Margaret asked when she walked into the kitchen. "Did you stay out of trouble?"

"Yeah I did, Mom," Emma smiled at her. "I'm almost caught up in some of my classes. The guidance counselor suggested I get a tutor to get caught up in algebra."

"I know someone who could help you out," Mary Margaret replied with a smile. "If you want, I can give him a call later?"

"Maybe," she shrugged and she started to unpack the groceries from the paper bags sitting on the kitchen counter. "Hey, my birthday is coming up," she said after a few moments and it caused her mother to stop midway from putting the jug of milk into the fridge. "It's a big one, isn't it? Sixteen."

"Yes, yes it is," Mary Margaret replied quietly. "I was thinking we could all go out for dinner, somewhere nice and a little fancy. Grandma Ruth will be coming up from Miami that weekend."

"Can I have a party, Mom?"

"A party, Emma?"

"Yeah, with my friends," she said carefully, already knowing that her mother would say no because of what had happened the last time she threw a party at the house.

"I don't think that is a good idea, Emma."

"Right. Whatever."

"You can invite a friend or two to come to dinner with us if you'd like," she continued and Emma just shrugged, feeling the anger bubbling and boiling inside of her as tears pricked at her eyes. "Oh Emma, I know this is a big birthday, but you've had a rough year and after the last party you threw, I'm afraid we cannot trust you not to destroy the house again. We could barely afford the repairs we needed to do."

Emma clenched her fists and her jaw tightly before swallowing past the lump of disappointment that was lodged in her throat. "Right," she muttered quietly, grabbed the jar of peanut butter, and shoved it in the right cabinet. "No party. Got it."

"I don't mean to upset you, sweetie," Mary Margaret said as she walked over to her and wrapped her arms around her. "You have to understand where I'm coming from. These friends of yours, they have no respect for anyone else, and I don't want to see the house completely trashed as it was the last time."

"I get it. No party," Emma said as she gave her a small push to dislodge her mother's arms from around her. "What's for dinner tonight, Mom?"

"I was thinking since it's so warm out, we could make some chicken and broccoli pasta salad. Maybe you can give me a hand?"

"Nah, I—I got some homework to do. Dad was going to take me out tonight for a driving lesson, so I kind of wanted to get it done before that."

"Okay, sweetie," she smiled lightly. "I'll call you down when it's ready. Don't forget to bring down those empty glasses and bowls I've been asking you to do for the last couple of days, okay?"

"Sure," Emma sighed and she turned on her heels, racing back up the stairs into her bedroom. She had to fight the urge to slam the door as the tears she'd kept at bay in front of her mother began to fall.

She sat at her desk and flipped the paper over. She had to calm herself down a little as she grabbed her pen, her hand shaking before she began to write the last of the letter to Regina Mills.

 _My parents won't let me have a party, some sweet sixteen it'll be, huh? I had a party at the end of the school year, one that they didn't know about until they came home to the house being trashed. It wasn't my fault some seniors decided to show up with booze and things quickly got out of hand._

 _Anyway, thanks for the paper flower. Nobody has ever made me anything before and it's nice. Maybe one day I'll learn how to fold something other than paper airplanes and send you something too._

 _I leave you with one last question. Is Daniel your first boyfriend? Have you ever kissed anyone before him? I bet you're still a virgin, aren't you? Not that it is a bad thing, you know? Hope to hear from you soon._

 _Emma Swan_

[X]

A dozen letters had been exchanged between the two before Christmas rolled around, and Regina found herself looking forward to that letter that came every second week from the girl in Tallahassee, Florida. Each letter grew progressively longer, questions were asked and answered, and in some cases, secrets were exchanged and because of the nature of some of the letters, Regina had to lock them away in a little lock box that she hid deep in her closet where her mother would never, ever find them.

In the time since she started exchanging letters with Emma Swan, Regina had found herself in her first serious relationship with Daniel Farmer. They went out on dates several times a week and he continued to give her driving lessons to prepare her for her test she'd be taking in the New Year. They hadn't gone much further than kissing, aside from the one time they went to the Toll Bridge after having dinner at Lumiere's and they ended up making out, their hands exploring at little more than they had ever dared to before.

She had told Emma some of the littlest of details, finding it hard to write them without blushing profusely. Emma, as crass as she could be at times throughout her letters, told her it was only natural to want to be touched, to be loved in a way she had never known before. Emma had, in her last letter, described in very intricate detail about her encounter with another girl, how different it had been from being with a boy, how much softer their lips were, how gentler their fingers were, how different yet the same their bodies were to her own.

Regina had read over that part a handful of times, finding herself growing aroused when Emma described her sexual encounters with her friend Lily. It had been a week at that point and she had yet to write a letter in return, but what would she say after reading something that was so erotic, something that had made her flush in arousal with every word she'd read?

For the first time in the few months they'd been exchanging letters, Regina was growing curious as to what this Emma Swan looked like. She seemed to have gotten to know everything else about her aside from knowing what she looked like. She had been debating sending a picture of herself along with her next letter and was going over the many pictures she had on the wall above her desk, pictures of her, her friends, her and Daniel. It was how her best friend Kathryn Nolan had found her that afternoon.

"Regina, what are you doing?"

"Nothing," Regina sighed, putting the tack back into the picture of herself and Kathryn back on the wall. "I thought we weren't meeting until later?"

"It is later," Kathryn chuckled. "Fred is waiting downstairs. He managed to borrow his father's car and since Daniel's truck is out of commission right now, we're going to go around and pick him up before we head out to the cabin for that party."

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Kathryn."

"Why not? It is the first day of winter break. We should go out and have fun. There's not going to be a lot of us there," Kathryn said and she draped an arm casually around Regina's tense shoulders. "What is going on with you, Regina?"

"Nothing," Regina replied a little too quickly. "Maybe I just don't want to go to the cabin tonight. My mother, she won't approve of it, especially since—"

"I have already told her that you are spending the night at my place," Kathryn smirked and she turned Regina until she looked at her. "You and Daniel have been together for a few months now. Don't you think it's time for you two to take the next step, Regina?"

"The next step?"

"Sex," Kathryn said in a hushed whisper. Regina flushed and shook her head as she looked away from her friend. "You're going to be seventeen soon. You don't want to be a virgin forever, do you?"

"No, but—"

"Daniel loves you, Regina."

"He—he hasn't said that yet," she stammered and felt her face flush. "Do you think he loves me, Kathryn?"

"Yes," she smiled. "Very much so. Don't you love him, Regina?"

"I do."

Kathryn smiled at her widely and took her hand in her own. "Come on, let's find you something to wear and then we'll head out, okay?"

"Kathryn, wait," Regina sighed and she turned her attention to the letter and envelope on her desk. "You know that girl I've been writing to?"

"The one in Florida?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I—I wonder if it's okay to send her a picture?"

"Why on earth would you do that?"

"I'm curious," Regina replied. "Curious as to what she looks like. Who is to say she isn't wondering the same thing?"

Kathryn shook her head before looking at the wall of pictures. She shook her head again and grabbed the Polaroid camera that sat on her bookshelf. "Let's take one then," she said quietly. "One just for this friend of yours."

"I don't know, Kathryn. Maybe it's not such a good idea," she said uneasily. "It's just supposed to be a pen pal program, after all. According to my mother, it'll look good on my college applications for reaching out to a troubled teenager my own age."

"Is that why you keep writing her back?" Kathryn questioned. "Because it is going to look good on your applications? Or are you writing her back because you two are becoming friends?"

Regina wasn't sure how to answer that as she wasn't sure what the answer was. She did know that she enjoyed reading Emma's letters and that she enjoyed writing her back because she never knew what Emma would end up saying in the next one.

"Regardless," Kathryn continued as she lifted the Polaroid camera up and snapped a picture, chuckling as she pulled the picture free and tossed it on the desk before quickly snapping another of Regina candidly. "I am growing curious as to what this girl looks like because from the things you've told me, I'm imagining this hard looking, tattoo covered girl from the wrong side of the tracks."

"She's only sixteen," Regina replied and she grabbed the camera before Kathryn could take a third picture. "And at least let me do my hair and smile for the camera, Kat. I am not sending some embarrassing picture to her."

Amongst the teasing she received from Kathryn while she fixed her hair, in the end and four pictures later, she had one she found was good enough to send with her letter to Emma. Kathryn was the one who sealed the envelope, not allowing her to change her mind at the last minute, and she ushered Regina out of the house after they said a quick goodbye to her parents.

After a quick stop at the post office before driving out to pick up Daniel, Regina found herself growing more and more nervous about spending the night at the cabin, alone, with her friends and with Daniel. She hated lying to her mother, but it hadn't exactly been her lie, just one she went along with and hoped that her mother wouldn't find out at all. She was also nervous about the picture she'd sent along with the letter, but it was nerves she could quickly push aside and worry about in two week's time when Emma's next letter would likely arrive.

It was that night she lost her virginity to her boyfriend, the entire encounter strange and awkward. Daniel had told her he loved her in the moments before they had stripped out of their clothes and crawled into the small, hard, double-sized bed in the second bedroom inside the small cabin while their friends drank and danced just twenty feet beyond the locked door.

It felt so very cliché, losing her virginity during a party, but it was one of the experiences as a teenager she had feared she'd never get the opportunity to experience for herself. She wasn't sure what it was when she'd finally returned home the next morning and escaped to her room without having to face her mother, but the first thing she did was sit down at her desk and began to write another letter to Emma, one describing all that had happened the night before and left her blushing at some of the words she had written.

In the end, she locked the letter up in her little lock box, not quite ready to send it to Emma or to even reread it for herself. She spent the rest of her winter break as she normally did, with her family, celebrating Christmas, and she spent time with Daniel whenever she could, but they were never alone, not until New Year's Eve when she invited him over after her parents had left for the night to attend a party in Portland.

She rang in the New Year with her boyfriend, her first love, sipping stolen champagne as they lay naked in her bed. Yet her thoughts weren't solely on Daniel, but that of Emma Swan and wondering what she was doing in that very moment, wondering how she had chosen to ring in the New Year, and wondering if Emma was thinking of her too.

[X]

The handcuffs pinched the skin around her wrists, them having been put on far too tightly in the brief struggle she'd had with the cop that tackled her to the ground. This wasn't the start to the New Year she had wanted, but she'd gone to the party with Lily and ended up drinking far too much cheap tequila. When a fight broke out inside the apartment complex, Emma had found herself deep in the middle of it all, fighting only to get out of there, not because she was a part of it all.

The cop who arrested her and put her in the back of the squad car had no reason to believe a word she said. She was sixteen years old, drunk, with a record longer than the length of her arm, and a history of fighting and underage drinking being the majority of reasons behind each of her priors.

She flinched when the other back door opened and another cop all but shoved Lily in the back with her. Lily was laughing, her nose bloody, her right eye swollen shut and her t-shirt ripped. She looked over at Emma and burst out laughing.

"God, what a shit-fest this turned into, huh?" Lily asked, slurring her words as she nearly toppled over on to Emma. "You okay, Em?"

"No."

"You were right," Lily said with a frown. "This was a bad idea. We should've left when you said earlier. I'm sorry."

"Whatever," Emma muttered.

Two hours later, Emma's father picked her up from the station after several witnesses of the fight said she hadn't been initially involved. Lily, however, was booked and spending the rest of the night in a holding cell before she'd be transported back to the juvenile detention center for an undetermined amount of time. David was quiet as he drove the truck home and Emma struggled to keep her eyes open, the alcohol and the excitement of the night catching up to her and making her feel extremely exhausted.

A block from the house, he stopped the truck at the side of the road. Emma murmured quietly about wanting to go home and go to sleep in her bed, but he shook his head and forced her to look over at him by gripping tightly on to her jaw.

"You were very lucky they didn't book you tonight, Emma."

"I know, Dad."

"What were you even doing there?" He asked and let go of her chin with a frown. "You told your mother and I you weren't going out at all tonight. Your mother nearly had a heart attack when she went up to your room just before midnight so we could ring in the New Year together as a family."

"I made a mistake."

"A big mistake," he said quietly. "You're grounded for a month."

"A month?" Emma's eyes were wide open in disbelief. "Come on, Dad, that's not fair!"

"Do you think it is fair to put your mother and I through this?" He countered and Emma shook her head and balled her hands into tight fists. "We're pulling you out of school and we're going to arrange for you to be tutored for the rest of the school year. You are not to speak or see Lily Page ever again, do you understand me, Emma?"

"Yeah, Dad, I do, but do you have to pull me out of school? I've been doing better!"

"I know you have, but these friends of yours, your mother and I believe it'd be a lot easier for you to stay away from them if you don't see them every day."

A part of her knew that her father was right. Her friends, her so-called friends, were always the ones talking her into doing the things that ultimately got her into some serious trouble. She knew the people she hung out with from time to time were bad news, especially Lily Page, but Lily had been her only real friend for as long as she could remember and she wasn't sure how she'd end that friendship, even if it were something that had grown into being a toxic one.

She thought back to some of the things that Regina had written to her in response to some of the things Emma had done with her friends. Regina had told her bluntly to stop being a sheep, stop following the people who bring her down, to break free and find her own sense of self-worth and her own place in the world. When she had read those words the first time, it seemed impossible and unrealistic, but thinking back to them, even in her inebriated state, it was starting to make a little more sense.

Emma didn't say another word as her father drove the rest of the way home. She stumbled a few times once she'd gotten out of the truck and with his help, she got up to her room and into her bed. She laid there for the longest time, her tears staining her pillow as she listened to her parents arguing in their room across the hall. She pulled out the Polaroid picture that Regina had sent to her and she flipped on the bedside lamp, studying the small picture and the beautiful girl in it.

Regina's life was drastically different from her own. She came from a rich family and while her mother was strict, she had a better life, better grades, better friends, and even her boyfriend seemed better than any of the guys Emma had briefly dated or hooked up with in the past. A part of her was jealous of this girl, someone that was no longer a perfect stranger, but still very much one all at the same time. She fell asleep that night to thoughts of Regina, wondering if she'd spent the night with her perfect gentleman of a boyfriend, wondering if she too was thinking about her at all.

It was a week after the New Year's Eve incident when Emma ran into Neal Cassidy at the corner store just a block and a half from her house. Her mother had sent her off to get some more milk, letting her out of the house for the first time since she'd been grounded. Emma wandered up and down the aisles in the store, carrying the jug of milk in her left hand while she browsed each rack, killing time as she knew she'd be stuck inside for at least a few days more.

They had quite literally run into one another, neither looking as they walked down the middle aisle in the small store. The basket he'd been carrying fell to the floor upon the impact and Emma, flustered, bent down at the same time as he did, their foreheads banging hard against one another.

"Swan?"

"Shit," Emma groaned as she held a hand to her forehead and stood up slowly. When she blinked away the slight dizziness, she shook her head with a small chuckle of disbelief.

"What are you doing here?"

Emma held up the jug of milk. "My mom sent me down to get the milk she forgot when she went shopping yesterday. What are _you_ doing here?"

"Aside from running into you and finding out you got quite a hard head?" He asked as he rubbed a hand over his forehead with a teasing smile. "I stopped in to get some snacks. I'm headed down to meet up with some friends at the beach today."

She took a moment to let her eyes roam over the man in front of her and she laughed quietly at the colorful board shorts and bright blue t-shirt he had on, a stark contrast to the black uniform she'd seen him wear every day during her last stint at the detention center. She also noticed how much younger he looked out of his uniform and it made her wonder just how old he really was.

 _He's definitely too old for you_ , she told herself as he picked up the things that had fallen from the basket upon their impact. _Cute, but too old_.

"Have you been staying out of trouble?"

"Who me?" Emma smirked. "Mostly."

"Well, you haven't been back, so I take it as a good sign," he chuckled. "How are you doing in school?"

Emma didn't want to talk to him about the things that had happened in the past week, and she just shrugged and headed towards the cashier near the front of the store. It was awkward enough running into the young, cute CO, even more so just having a conversation with him that sounded like the ones they had in his office on days he counseled her at the detention center.

"Right," Neal said as he stood behind her at the counter. "How about that pen pal program I signed you up for? Did you ever hear back from that girl in Maine?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded and she fished out a few dollar bills from her pocket to pay for the jug of milk. "We've been writing back and forth."

He smiled, a smile that was more polite than anything. "I'm glad it worked out for you, Emma."

"You just called me Emma."

"That is your name, isn't it?" Neal asked and the teenage cashier behind the counter just rolled his eyes as Neal began to unload his basket.

"You've always only called me Swan," she replied.

"Well, we're not at the center, are we?" Neal countered. "And you can call me Neal when I'm not working."

"I'd rather not."

Neal chuckled and pulled out a worn leather wallet from his left pocket and pulled out a credit card. "Suit yourself, Swan. I'll see you around."

"Will you?"

"Just moved to the neighborhood a few days ago."

"Right," Emma said and she walked out of the store without saying another word. She pulled her aviators on and started to walk down the street in the direction of her house when she heard footsteps coming up from behind her quickly a few minutes later. "What, are you following me now, Cassidy?"

"Nah," he replied with a shrug. "I live down that way."

"So do I."

"Can I take you out for coffee sometime?"

Emma stopped and peered over the top of her aviators at him incredulously. "You do remember that I am only sixteen, right?"

"And I'm only twenty-one," he replied. "Not that much of an age difference and it's only coffee, Swan, not a date."

"Whatever," she replied as she started to cross the empty street. "I would say yes, but I am currently grounded right now."

"How about when you're not?"

Emma stopped to look at him and she rolled her eyes. "Are you always this persistent, Neal?"

"Only with the pretty girls, I am," he replied with a wink. "That was a joke."

"Right."

Neal shook his head and grabbed on to her wrist lightly before pulling out a pen from his pocket. He quickly wrote his number down on her palm and released her wrist with a smile. "Call me sometime, will you?"

"Why?"

"We might have five years between us, but I know when someone can use a friend."

"I _have_ friends."

"Friends who are nothing but bad news," he countered. "You could use a friend who doesn't get their kicks breaking the law."

"And you think that you can be that friend?"

He shrugged. "Maybe," he smiled at her. "I'll see you around, Emma."

"Yeah, whatever, Neal. See you."

Emma didn't think much about Neal Cassidy, not for another week until she got a letter from Regina. It was long, almost four pages front and back. She hadn't expected a letter from her since she had still yet to reply to the last one, the one that had come with the Polaroid that Regina had sent along with it.

She locked herself in the bathroom to read the letter, shocked at how detailed it all was as Regina described her first time having sex with her stupid, perfect boyfriend. She hated that she was jealous, not of Regina, but of her boyfriend. She hated that she had those thoughts, those feelings at all. She only knew this girl through her letters, through the things they told one another and the secrets they shared from time to time. She had no right to be jealous, she knew that, but it left a bitter taste in her mouth she couldn't quite get rid of and she wasn't entirely sure why.

She could barely make it through the letter without stopping to fight back her tears. Regina, all too innocent Regina Mills, was describing her first time in vivid detail, much like how Emma had described to her about the first time she and Lily had sex. She had only reached the last page when her mother knocked on the locked door, telling her that her help was needed to prepare dinner before her father was due home from work.

Emma went back to her room and placed the letter in the old Converse shoebox she had under her bed that held all the other letters and the paper flower Regina had made and sent for her sixteenth birthday. When her mother called for her to hurry up downstairs, she placed the shoebox back in its spot and rushed down to the kitchen.

"I'm sorry," Emma said in a rush at the disapproving look she received from her mother as she skidded into the kitchen. "Uh, I have bad cramps today."

"Oh?" Mary Margaret frowned and she walked over to her, placing a hand against her forehead. "Would you rather lay down with the heating pad while I take care of dinner on my own?"

"No, Mom, I'm fine now. I can help. What do you need me to do?"

Mary Margaret smiled before placing a kiss to her forehead. "I love that you're trying, sweetie, I do. Keep it up and things might just get better yet for you."

"Hopefully."

"Are you all right?"

"Cramps," Emma muttered. "I'm fine."

Mary Margaret shook her head and hugged her tightly. "I know you are, sweetie. Come," she smiled as she rushed her over to the small island countertop. "It is your father's birthday and I was hoping we could bake him his favorite cake together. Do you know how long it's been since we did that?"

"The last time was when I was eleven," Emma whispered. "I remember."

While they busied themselves baking a red velvet chocolate cake for her father, Emma's thoughts went back to Regina's latest letter and all that had been revealed to her. She hated feeling so jealous over something she had no right to be jealous of and she started to wonder if it all was simply because she hadn't experienced the same kind of relationship that Regina wrote to her about having with Daniel.

It would be a few weeks before Emma replied to her letter, a few weeks before her jealously subsided and she found the courage to write her back and to send along her own Polaroid of herself. This time she ended the letter in a way she hadn't before. She gave Regina her phone number, not expecting the privileged girl from Maine to ever want to call her, but it was there, for reasons unknown even to herself, and she mailed it off three days before the first of February.

"Hey, Em," Neal said as he jogged up behind her just as she slid the letter into the slot. "Ready to go for that coffee?"

"Yeah," she nodded and turned to him with a smile. "I'm ready. Let's go."


	2. Chapter 2

**Part II**

By the middle of senior year, Regina had fallen into a familiar pattern, balancing her time between her studies, Daniel, her friends, and Emma Swan. The letters continued for two years, accompanied by the occasional phone call between the two that lasted hours upon hours.

Regina loved hearing from Emma, whether it was by letter, the occasional phone call, and then over the summer, by email, although they both fell back into the old form more often than not. Regina's lock box was filled with letters from Emma, of photographs Emma had taken of the beach south of Tallahassee and sent to her with every letter. Some of those photographs were displayed on her wall, taking over the pictures of her and her friends, one by one.

Her favorite were of the ones on a cloudy day, the water eerily calm, and the single sunbeam that was captured way off in the distance. She lost herself in each of the photographs, sometimes for hours, feeling like she was chasing sunbeams that were hundreds of miles away.

"Regina?"

Regina looked up from the latest photograph that had come in the mail, bigger than the standard size, blown up and framed, shipped by FedEx. She smiled at her mother and placed the simple wood frame down on her desk.

"Yes, Mother?"

"A letter came for you today," Cora said. "Not one from your pen pal friend."

"Oh? Who is it from?"

"The administrations department at Yale," Cora replied and she handed the letter over to her before moving to pick up the framed photograph from her desk. "I see she sent another one," she said tightly. "I have to admit, this girl is fairly talented in landscape photography."

"She is, yes," Regina smiled. "Mother, why am I getting a letter from the administrations department at Yale? I applied to the University of Florida and was accepted there three months ago."

"Open it, dear."

"But I—"

"Do as you are told, Regina," Cora said firmly before she yanked the thick envelope from Regina's hands. "I cannot understand why you cannot follow simple instructions, dear. As you know, your father and I wished for you to go to Yale, and you know how deeply upset we both were when we found out you had purposely missed the deadline to apply. I, however, took it upon myself to use an essay of yours, one of the ones you wrote during our many practice sessions, and submitted your application along with a donation to the administration to make an exception for your late application."

"Mother, I told you, I don't want to go to Yale. I don't want to be a doctor."

"Nonsense, dear, do you hear yourself right now?" Cora tittered. "This is what you're meant to do. You have the knowledge, the passion, and you have everything you'll need to become a successful doctor. If children are your passion, perhaps pediatrics is a field you should study primarily."

"Mother—"

"Ah," Cora said before she placed a finger upon her lips that made Regina cease her protests immediately. "Payment has been received in full in lieu of the Mackenzie Fund Scholarship you have applied for and have been granted. We have provided with you full information on your student account which holds all your finances for tuition, housing, and basic needs, retroactive from September the 22nd 2002 until May the 18th 2006."

Regina felt sick as she backed up towards her bed. Cora placed the letter down on top of Emma's framed picture and clapped her hands together excitedly as she approached Regina, but she backed up until she sat down heavily on the edge of her bed, her vision swimming and her ears ringing.

"Isn't this wonderful, dear? Hard work and perseverance pays off in the end, just as I have always told you. The amount in your account is more than enough for you to acquire private housing just off campus. We have a few months yet to find a place most suitable and adequate to your needs."

Regina shook her head as Cora took a seat beside her and pulled both of Regina's hands into her own. Tears welled up in her eyes and she shook her head no once again, letting the tears fall, no longer caring that her mother would highly disapprove of her showing her emotions outwardly so freely.

"Stop this, Regina," Cora said harshly. "You have a full-ride to one of the best universities in the entire country. You should feel grateful for the fact that you have not only been accepted, but had won that scholarship."

"It's not like we don't have the money," Regina said lowly, her voice sounding foreign as she spoke. "Someone else could've used that scholarship. I told you that I don't want to go to Yale. I was accepted—"

"At the University of Florida, yes," Cora sighed. "Not that it isn't a great school, Regina, Yale is better. It is your father's and I Alma matter. We only wish for you to continue on with family tradition. Perhaps you may even meet a suitable man in the future, one who can have a future like yourself."

"I know you don't like Daniel, but I love him," Regina replied and she pulled her hands free and stood up, quickly wiping away her tears. "I love Daniel and nothing is going to change that. Nothing, Mother, not even if you try so very hard to push us apart. I love him and he loves me. I am going to marry him one day."

"Is that so, dear?" Cora challenged dangerously. "I don't know why you love this boy. He is a Farmer, for crying out loud. He is not good enough for you, dear. When will you realize that?"

"When will _you_ realize that I don't care about his family and that they are poor, or that he only managed to get accepted to that community college in Augusta? None of that matters to me, Mother, because I love him with all my heart."

"Love is weakness, dear. It's a pity you have yet to learn that lesson."

"You love Daddy."

"That," Cora snapped, "is a different kind of love, one you will discover for yourself in the years to come, not now, dear. Not with _him_."

"I have been with Daniel for two years, when are you going to just accept that he is my boyfriend, Mother?"

"When you accept your full ride to Yale, Regina."

Regina scoffed and she backed away from her mother. "Are you blackmailing me, Mother?"

"And if I am?"

"I am going to be with Daniel no matter what you try to do or where I ultimately decide to go to school. Nothing you can say will stop me from being with him."

"Is that so?" Cora sneered. "I can make one phone call, dear, one, and Daniel's acceptance to the only college that would take a poor boy with poor grades such as himself and his future is ruined."

"You wouldn't do that."

"Do you dare test me, dear?" Cora asked and Regina sharply shook her head no and clenched her jaw tightly. "Good. Yale it is. All that letter needs is your signature."

Regina hastily marched over to her desk, grabbed her pen and signed at the bottom of the second paper in the package that had been sent. She all but shoved the entire thing into her mother's waiting hands and shook her head in pure disbelief.

"You cannot manipulate me forever, Mother."

"We'll see about that, Regina."

Once her mother was out of her room, Regina growled angrily. She paced around the room before picking up the framed photograph Emma had just sent her. She traced her fingers down along the lone sunbeam breaking through the clouds and landing on the calm water below, and she suddenly had a longing to chase after a moment like that, to be in that very same spot that Emma was when she took that picture, to feel the peacefulness of that moment fill her whole and completely.

She shook her head, knowing that was just a dream that was so far from becoming a reality, especially with the current status of her life as it stood. She hesitated at first before she picked up the phone and dialed the number Emma had given her nearly two years before, a number she rarely dialed yet had memorized despite.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is Emma there?" Regina asked quietly. "It's uh, it's Regina Mills calling."

"Regina?" Emma's mother asked before she heard her laugh quietly. "Always so polite, aren't you, sweetie?"

"Yes, of course. Is Emma there?"

"She's not home right now, sweetie, she's at the doctor's right now."

"The doctor's? Is everything all right?"

There was silence and Regina switched the phone to her other ear. She cleared her throat quietly and heard some shuffling in the background before Emma's mother spoke again. "She didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Regina asked carefully. "Mrs. Swan, what is going on?"

"Oh sweetie," Mary Margaret sighed quietly into the phone. "Emma is eight months pregnant. She's at her last check up before she's due next month."

"She's pregnant?"

"She's expecting a boy, isn't that wonderful?"

The receiver fell from Regina's hands as a gasp escaped past her lips. Emma was pregnant and not once had she said a word about it in the last eight months. She could only just faintly hear the tinny voice of Mary Margaret saying her name over and over again as she struggled to take a breath, to breathe, to think without her whole world spinning wildly all around her.

The line was dead by the time she picked up the phone, unaware of how many minutes had passed. She swallowed thickly before retrieving her lock box from her closet and used the key she kept around her neck to open it with the code. She spent the next hour going over every letter she had gotten from Emma, only then noticing that in the last six months, all Emma had really sent were photographs and small notes alongside them, not their usual lengthy letters she had come to know and love.

There was only one mention of a guy she was involved with, a correctional officer she had met in her time in the juvenile detention center two years prior. Regina knew they had become friends a few months after her last stint in the detention center and he had been mentioned randomly throughout the years, but she would've never thought they had anything more than a friendship, especially not with five years between them and the brief history they had at one point.

The more she read back some of Emma's letters, the more she saw them in a whole different light. It made her feel things she wasn't prepared to feel and one of those things was jealousy, not of Emma, but of that man Neal Cassidy who had gone from being a friend to something so much more when she began to read through the lines.

She wasn't sure why she was so angry, but she knew that in the years since they had begun to exchange letters through the pen pal program her mother had signed her up for without her initial knowledge, Emma Swan had never once lied to her that she knew of. Finding out that she was eight months pregnant felt like the ultimate betrayal in their friendship and the level of trust she had believed had been there.

"Fuck you, Emma Swan," Regina growled under her breath as she shoved all of the letters back into the box and slammed the lid shut. "Fuck. You."

[X]

Emma hated the way the gel felt against her stomach when the nurse spread it with the wand as she performed the last ultrasound. Emma had been dreading that appointment, simply because Neal had called her ten minutes before she was due to show up at the clinic that he had been called in to cover a coworkers shift at the detention center. She shifted on the gurney and frowned as the nurse readjusted the screen so she could see the growing baby inside of her.

"He looks very healthy," the nurse smiled at her, though Emma could see past her fake smile each and every time. "Just a few more weeks. Are you ready, Emma?"

"Not really, no," Emma frowned and she tried to pull her shirt down, but the nurse stopped her, moving the wand higher over her round belly. "I think that's enough."

"His position indicates he's just about ready to come out and meet the world, meet you and his daddy," the nurse said as she stared at the screen. "Have you been experiencing any discomfort?"

"Aside from the fact the kid kicks my bladder consistently while I sleep at night? No."

"That's normal, Emma," the nurse said and she pulled the wand away while reaching for some wipes that Emma immediately grabbed from her to rid her skin of the cool gel that had been spread over it. "Although from his current position, he's punching your bladder, not kicking it."

"Whatever," Emma sighed tiredly. "Can I go now?"

"Do you want a print out? Two right? Just like the last one?"

She sighed again before nodding her head, knowing how much her mother was looking forward to proudly displaying her teenaged daughter's ultrasound on the refrigerator for all to see.

"Can I have three this time?" Emma asked nervously. "I—I have a friend I'd like to send it to."

"Of course."

Emma struggled to sit up on the gurney as the nurse hit a few buttons on the machine, it whirring as it printed out three copies of the ultrasound, a perfect profile of the boy growing inside of her. She took the print outs from the nurse before making a quick trip into the doctor's private office for a follow-up.

Emma waited for the doctor in the small office and thought back to her relationship with Neal. While they had been friends, and only friends, until she was a few months shy of eighteen, she hadn't planned on any of this to happen. They were still only just friends, friends who had slept together just once, friends who had realized what a mistake they had made in the moments that followed a poor decision on both of their part, a mistake that had resulted in her being pregnant and not finding out until it was far too late to have an abortion.

Things were very complicated when it came to her and Neal. While they had both made a mistake in hooking up at that night, she was just as much at fault as he was. Nobody held the blame, nobody pointed fingers, it was what it was and now she was dealing—and not so well—with the ramifications of her mistake. Her own parents had been devastated when she told them she was pregnant and even more so when she told them who the father was. Her father had threatened to kill Neal, and once he'd calmed down, he threatened to tell Neal's supervisors that he had slept with a minor and a former inmate of the juvenile detention center that he was still employed at. Her mother, of all people, had been the one to calm her father down, but even still, many months later, Neal was not welcome at the house and the only time she was actually permitted to see him was during visits to the doctor.

Because of how her parents had reacted, she hadn't written to Regina to tell her that she was pregnant. She had barely mentioned Neal in any of her letters over the years just as Regina barely mentioned that stupid, perfect boyfriend of hers. The more Emma put it off, the harder she found it was to tell Regina, but with her due date fast approaching, there was no way she'd be able to keep a baby a secret from her once he was born.

After the doctor looked over the ultrasound and reminded her to call the hospital to schedule a semi-private room for the first week of March, Emma headed home, opting to walk instead of calling for a cab or taking the bus. It was a beautiful day and even though her feet were swollen and her back hurt, it felt good to be out in the fresh air and walking. Even the baby agreed as it kicked and turned inside of her.

"Emma?"

She stopped short at the familiar voice calling out her name from behind. She hadn't seen or spoken to Lily Page much at all over the last couple of years. The last she'd heard, Lily had moved out of the state last year. She swallowed thickly as she began to walk again, ignoring her old friend as she called out her name again.

"Emma, come on, wait up!" Lily said as she ran up behind her. "Emma—holy shit, you're pregnant!"

"Hi Lily, nice to see you too," Emma said dryly. "What do you want?"

"I'm back in town for a few days," she replied. "Shit, Em, how did you end up getting pregnant?"

"You see, when two people have unprotected sex—"

"Spare me the details," Lily chuckled and she moved to hug Emma, the hug awkward right from the beginning to the end. "Who is the father?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Older guy, huh?" Lily chuckled. "Let me guess, he's married?"

"No."

"Please don't tell me he's some really old dude," Lily said as she fell into step beside Emma as they walked down the street. "Em?"

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just, it's nice to see you again."

"Wish I could say the same."

Lily laughed and slung an arm over Emma's shoulders, getting her to come to a stop by a bench. "Come on, I know we went through a lot of shit in the past, but things are different now, Emma. After that fight that New Year's Eve, that was the last time I got into any kind of trouble. I'm different now and I hear you are too. A lot has changed in two years, some in more obvious ways."

Emma rolled her eyes and rubbed her hands over her stomach before she sat down on the bench with a heavy sigh. "Heard you moved out of the state," Emma said quietly. "Where'd you go?"

"Atlanta," Lily replied. "Living with my uncle up there until I graduate."

"How is that working out for you?"

"Better than things were here, that's for sure," Lily chuckled lightly. "How'd your parents take the news?"

"They didn't kick me out," Emma replied with a shrug. "My dad was pretty upset when he found out who the father is," she continued quietly. "My mom has been pretty supportive though, which is more than I deserve."

"Are you keeping the baby?"

"Does it look like I am, Lily? I'm eight months pregnant."

"No, I mean, like you're not putting it up for adoption or anything?"

"No," Emma shook her head. "No, I'm not. I'm keeping the baby. It's a boy."

Lily smiled. "Have you thought about a name yet?"

"No," she replied quietly. "I haven't thought about a name yet. Look," she said as she stood up from the bench. "I should get home. My mom is expecting me home right about now."

Emma didn't even bother to say goodbye and she checked both ways before crossing the street. She rubbed her belly as the baby started to kick again and she frowned at the hunger pangs that suddenly hit her. As soon as she was home, she went straight for the kitchen and pulled out the loaf of bread, the peanut butter, and the jar of pickles from the fridge.

"Hi sweetie," Mary Margaret said as she breezed into the kitchen. "How did your appointment go?"

"Good," Emma shrugged and she busied herself with making her sandwich. "I have pictures," she said and she pointed to her canvas bag she'd dropped on the kitchen table.

"Regina called while you were out," Mary Margaret said quietly as she pulled the three ultrasound pictures out of Emma's bag. "You never told her you're pregnant?"

"Mom…please tell me you didn't tell her?"

"Oh Emma, I'm so sorry, I kind of let it slip," she said in a rush and suddenly Emma was no longer craving her odd combination of a sandwich. "Sweetie, I'm so sorry. I just assumed you had already told her."

"How long ago did she call?"

"About twenty minutes ago—"

"Shit," Emma groaned and she grabbed the cordless phone before storming up to her bedroom.

She dialed Regina's number as she sat on her unmade bed. The line rang and rang until the answering machine picked up. She hung up without leaving a message and walked over to her desk, turning on her second-hand computer her parents had bought her for her eighteenth birthday. As soon as it had booted up, she sat down and began to type up an email quickly, her only other way of getting in touch with Regina immediately aside from the phone.

 _Regina,_

 _You're mad at me, aren't you? I can't blame you for being mad right now. I just didn't know how to tell you. I wasn't trying to keep it a secret from you, I swear that I wasn't, and I've been trying to find a way to tell you all these months. I just called you, but you're not home or you didn't answer or whatever. Can you please call me back? Even just email me back, Regina. I want to explain everything to you._

 _Emma_

Her finger hovered over the mouse for a few minutes before she clicked the button to send the email. Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over all at once. She turned the monitor off and walked over to her bed. She laid down on her side, rubbing over her stomach as she cried into her pillow.

[X]

It had been a handful of days since Regina had found out that Emma was pregnant and she had purposely avoided reading the email that Emma had sent her, trashing it without even opening it. Even Daniel noticed that something was off with her, but she never talked to him about Emma and she wasn't about to start.

Regina was angry, but she was more upset than anything else. She focused on school as she always did, but instead of spending her free time with Daniel and their friends, she went home immediately after school and locked herself in her bedroom, pouring over every single one of the letters that Emma had sent to her over the years. By Saturday, a week before her birthday, Kathryn showed up at three in the afternoon, concerned since she had been ignoring her phone calls all week.

"What are you doing here?" Regina snapped when Kathryn walked into her room without knocking. "Go away, Kat."

"What the hell is going on with you, Regina?" Kathryn demanded. "I know you're upset because of what your mother did and that you're being forced to go to Yale, but that's no reason to—"

"It's not just because of that," Regina cut her off and she wiped at her tears as Kathryn came over to join her in her bed. Regina hadn't even bothered to get dressed at all that day and she had barely left her bed except to eat lunch when her mother called her down. "Emma is pregnant."

"Emma? The girl from Tallahassee?" Kathryn asked and Regina nodded her head lightly. "You're upset because she's pregnant?"

"I'm upset because she didn't tell me. I called her the other day after my mother gave me her ultimatum. She wasn't home and I spoke with her mother briefly."

"Her mother told you?"

"Yes."

"And you're upset because Emma never told you?"

"I am," she sighed and Kathryn crawled under the white duvet after she slipped her shoes off. "This is ridiculous, isn't it? Me acting this way."

"Not necessarily, Regina," Kathryn said softly. "You and Emma are friends, kind of, and you feel what, betrayed because she never told you she's pregnant."

"We're not kind of friends, we _are_ friends, Kathryn."

"Okay."

"And yes, I feel betrayed that she never told me. Why didn't she tell me, Kathryn?"

"Oh honey, I don't know why, but maybe she found it too hard to tell you?"

"Am I really that hard to talk to?"

"No," Kathryn said as she shook her head. "You're not. Not most of the time, but then again, Emma has never spoken to you face-to-face before so she has no reason to fear your reaction."

Regina frowned and turned to bury her face into her pillow. She hated crying, but she hated crying in front of anyone else, even Kathryn. She had spent days trying to figure out why she was so upset, aside from the obvious reason that Emma hadn't told her, but she hadn't been able to figure any of it out. She hated being upset, but she hated not knowing the underlying reason why.

"Do you really want me to go away?" Kathryn asked quietly and Regina shook her head no, refusing to lift her face up from her tear-soaked pillow. "Do you want to spend the rest of the day in bed?"

"Yes."

"Can I stay?"

"Yes," she sighed and she turned her head to look at her best friend. "You know, the craziest thing is, I have no right to be this upset."

"I know, but you care about her and she is your friend. Have you tried to talk to her since you found out?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Have you ever tried to talk to me when I've been angry and upset with something you've done or said?" Regina asked and Kathryn just gave her a knowing look. "She emailed me a few days ago and I didn't read it. I trashed it."

Kathryn slipped out of bed and grabbed Regina's laptop off of her desk. Before Regina could even protest, Kathryn just held up a finger and turned the laptop on, bringing it with her as she got back into bed with Regina. She sighed and grabbed the laptop from Kathryn, typing in her password before handing it back to her. She knew that Kathryn was going to read that email from Emma she had trashed and a part of her wanted to know what she'd written too.

"You know," Kathryn said as she glanced over at Regina. "You've never actually shown me a picture of her before. Do you even have one?"

"I do."

"Well?"

Regina rolled her eyes and shook her head, moving to open up her email. She wasn't too surprised to find yet another email from Emma, it having been sent not even an hour before. She grabbed the laptop from Kathryn and opened it quickly.

 _Regina,_

 _I haven't heard from you and I'm starting to worry that maybe I'm never going to hear from you again. I'd really hate that, you know? You're kind of like my best friend now and I don't want our friendship to end._

 _I'm eight months pregnant. I'm due at the beginning of March. I sent you a copy of the last ultrasound I had when you called the other day so you could see my boy and how big he is already. I'm sure you'll get that letter sometime next week._

 _I know you probably don't want to know, or don't care anymore, but you need to know that this was an accident. I made a stupid mistake one night last year, we both did. Neal and I are just friends and I don't know why we did it, but we just did. Actually, that's a lie. I know why, I just don't know how to tell you this, but I promised myself that I wouldn't keep anything from you anymore._

 _I'm gay, Regina._

 _Fuck, even just typing it makes me feel nervous for some reason. I mean, it's not some big shocking thing, is it? You already know about Lily and me even though that happened years ago. But Neal and I were talking that night and I don't know why I said it, but I asked him to help me figure things out. I'm still trying to figure things out, you know? I think I'm nervous because of what you'll think…_

 _I'm keeping the baby, by the way. My parents have been nothing but supportive even though my dad wanted to kill Neal when he found out. I don't know what is going to happen once my son is born, but I'll figure it out. I always do, don't I? I managed to change my whole life around since I started exchanging letters with you, haven't I?_

 _Please call me, Regina. I want to talk to you. I want to know that you don't hate me for not telling you when I found out like I should've told you. Hopefully you can forgive me because as I already said, I don't want our friendship to end. I want to keep talking to you, writing letters to you, and hell maybe even one day we can finally meet face-to-face._

 _If I don't hear from you, I'll understand, but don't think I haven't forgotten about your birthday. Happy early birthday, Regina._

 _Emma_

Regina frowned as she scanned over the email a second time. Kathryn was strangely quiet and Regina was too, and as she scanned over the email for a third time, the one thing that kept jumping out at her was Emma's very personal admission of her sexuality. She wished she hadn't read that with Kathryn hovering over her shoulder reading along as well. She was sure that Emma wouldn't want anyone else reading the things she had written to her.

"Well?"

"Well what?" Regina asked as she looked over at Kathryn.

"Aren't you going to reply or call her?" Kathryn asked and Regina shrugged. "Okay, first things first, who is Neal?"

"I—I don't know." Regina paused. "He was a CO at the detention center she was in when she started writing to me. He is a few years older than her."

Regina just watched as Kathryn stared at her intently. She closed her laptop and placed it on the bed between them and she rolled her eyes and sighed incredulously.

"What, Kathryn?"

"Oh," she whispered softly. "I know what it is."

"Know what it is? What?"

"You're in love with her, aren't you?" Kathryn whispered before clamping a hand over her mouth quickly.

"What?" Regina asked, her voice dangerously low. "I'm in love with her? Kathryn, you are sorely mistaken. Emma is my friend. I am not in love with her. How can I be in love with her when I've never actually met her? Besides, I can't be in love with her. I love Daniel."

"It is entirely possible to be in love with two people at the same time, Regina."

"And you're suddenly such an expert on that?"

"Well no, but hear me out," Kathryn said and she took Regina's hands in her own and waited until Regina was looking at her before she continued. "You two have been writing back and forth for years now. I imagine you've told her things you haven't even told me, and that's okay. Before this week, every time you look at one of those pictures she's sent you, I see this light in your eyes, kind of like the way your eyes light up whenever you're with Daniel or talk about him."

"The pictures she sent me are beautiful, Kathryn, but that doesn't mean—"

"I'm not saying that they aren't, but you think about her when you look at them, don't you?"

"Of course I do. She's my friend and—"

"You are head over heels in love with her," Kathryn finished for her and Regina's mouth suddenly felt very dry and her protests died flat on her lips. "Is that why you wanted to go to the University of Florida? So you could be near her, maybe see her instead of just writing letters to her and talking on the phone every once in awhile?"

"That is not why I wanted to go to school in Florida, Kat."

"One of the reasons?" Kathryn tried and Regina rolled her eyes. She wasn't wrong, but she wasn't right either. "Hey, look at me," she said gently. "It's okay if you are. It's not a big deal, Regina. I find it amazing actually."

"Why?"

"Because you've gotten to know her over the years through the letters you two have exchanged. You know her for what she's written, not because of how she looks. Not that it even matters what she looks like, but you know what I mean, don't you?"

Regina wet her lips and nodded her head. "I do know what you mean," she whispered and she sighed heavily as a wave of realization washed over her. "Do you think that is why I am so upset that she didn't tell me she's pregnant?"

"Maybe," Kathryn replied. "You need to talk to her. Call her," she said and she reached for the phone on the bedside table. "Just call her, Regina."

"Right now?"

"Yes!"

Regina shook her head just as the doorbell downstairs rang, the chimes echoing throughout the house. A moment later, her mother knocked on the bedroom door before opening it.

"Regina, please come downstairs," she said tearfully.

"Mother, what is—"

"Please come downstairs," she repeated. "You as well, Kathryn."

Regina and Kathryn got out of her bed and once Regina had pulled on a robe, they headed downstairs and found her mother and Sheriff Graham in the kitchen. Regina's heart dropped when she saw her mother crying and struggling to keep herself together. Even the sheriff was wiping at his eyes, shaking his head as Regina and Kathryn walked into the kitchen together.

"Mother, what is going on?"

"It's your father," Cora whispered. "He—"

"He what?" Regina asked as she walked over to her mother's side, her own tears falling from her eyes. "Mommy, what's going on?"

"We believe that your father had a fatal heart attack," Sheriff Graham said quietly. "He was at the stables, riding as he does every Saturday morning. Marco was with him. He—he said your father just suddenly collapsed and fell from his horse. By the time the paramedics arrived on the scene, it was too late. I'm so sorry. I'm so very sorry for your loss."

"No," Regina trembled as it felt like the whole world was being swept out from underneath her feet. "No!"

[X]

Emma was miserable, beyond miserable, and by the middle of February, she was done with being pregnant. She couldn't sleep more than a handful of hours at a time, her back hurt if she didn't lay down for most of the day, and she constantly had to pee, and on top of that, she was constantly hungry.

She hadn't heard from Regina at all in the past couple of weeks, but after she'd had a long talk with her mother about it, she tried to push her worry away, to give Regina time to absorb the news. She hadn't told her mother about the email she had sent to her, or anything else, especially not the fact that she was more than a hundred percent certain she was gay. She tried all day, as she had every day for the past couple of weeks, not to think about Regina as she laid on the couch with the fan blowing by her and the TV on to some horrible daytime talk show.

Her thoughts drifted back to her baby as he kicked at her a few times. She sighed and rubbed over her stomach in a way that made him calm down. "We have to come up with a name for you soon, kid. The problem is," she sighed heavily and shook her head. "The problem is, I don't know what to pick. What if I name you Jack and you don't look like a Jack? What if I pick the wrong name and the kids in school make fun of you for it?"

Emma frowned and reached for the remote, flipping through the channels as she continued to rub over her stomach. Just as she landed on an old Bugs Bunny cartoon that was playing, the doorbell rang. She struggled to get up from the couch and all but waddled to the front of the house, the doorbell ringing again before she could unlock and open the door.

"Can I help you?" Emma asked the delivery man.

"Uh," he looked down at his clipboard and shook his head. "I have a package for a Miss Emma Swan," he said. "Is that you?"

"Yes," Emma nodded and she signed at the bottom of the paper on his clipboard before he handed her an envelope. "It's just a letter."

"Priority mail," he replied with a shrug before he headed down the front path to where the truck was parked.

Emma closed the front door and looked at the letter, recognizing Regina's elegant cursive immediately. Her heart skipped a beat and she moved to sit down on the stairs near the bottom, her fingers shaking as she opened up the envelope and pulled open the single piece of paper inside.

 _Emma,_

 _I have some terrible news to share with you, news I have still yet to come to grips with. My father passed away unexpectedly a few weeks ago. The news came as a shock as it was so very sudden. The funeral was lovely though, and he would've been moved by the support that our small little town showed when nearly everyone came to pay their respects. My father might have been a simple, quiet man, but he was loved by many. I am going to miss him so very much._

 _I wanted you to know that while I was upset with you for not telling me that you're pregnant, I am no longer upset or angry. I don't want to lose our friendship either, Emma, and nothing is going to change that, not a child, not a boyfriend, or a girlfriend in your case if you end up meeting someone._

 _I'm leaving for Connecticut for a week, but I promise to call you as soon as I return. There are a lot of things you and I need to talk about, but don't worry about that right now, Emma. Take care of yourself and your son. I cannot wait to see pictures of him once he's born._

 _Regina_

Emma frowned at reading the news of her father. She knew how close Regina was with him from the way she spoke of him from time to time in her letters. Her heart broke for Regina and she only noticed the newspaper clipping inside the envelope when it had slipped from her fingers.

The clipping was her father's obituary. Even though Emma had never met her father, tears sprang to her eyes as she read over it slowly. She thought about how if she had only known then, and if she wasn't too pregnant to travel, she would've found a way to get up to Storybrooke, Maine to attend the funeral and to be there for her friend in such a devastating time of her life.

Emma made it back into the living room, placing the letter and the obituary down on the coffee table beside the remote. She pulled the throw blanket over her that her mother had knitted over Christmas and closed her eyes, rubbing over her stomach as her body demanded a midday nap, falling asleep within minutes to nothing but thoughts of Regina on her mind.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been sleeping for, but a small clatter near the couch was what woken her from her nap. "Mom?"

"Don't mind me, sweetie," Mary Margaret said quietly. "I didn't mean to wake you. I was just cleaning up some of the dishes you'd left out today."

"Sorry," Emma said groggily and she moved to sit up. "I mean to put them in the sink earlier. I kind of fell asleep."

"It's okay," she smiled and she sat down next to her, placing a hand over Emma's stomach lightly. "Has he been behaving himself today? Not causing you too much distress, is he?"

"Not more than usual," Emma chuckled quietly. "What time is it?"

"Almost five. I only just got home. I had to stay and grade some papers after the bell. Your father called me at work to tell me he wouldn't be home until much later tonight."

"So it's just you and me for dinner?"

"Yes it is," she nodded. "What are you in the mood for tonight, sweetie?"

"Pizza," Emma chuckled, knowing her request would be fulfilled even if it wouldn't end up being a few slices of Emilio's pizza that she was suddenly craving. "Do you want some help?"

"Sure," Mary Margaret said before she stood up and offered a hand to Emma to help her up to her feet. "Who is Henry Mills?" She asked as they walked into the kitchen together. "I saw the obituary. Is that…Regina's father?"

"Yes. He passed away a few weeks ago. I got a letter from her today."

"Oh," Mary Margaret frowned. "Pass along my condolences to her when you speak with her next."

"I will."

Emma listened to her mother talk about her day with her fourth grade class and what they were learning as they prepared a pizza together using dough left over from a handful of days earlier when Emma had a pizza craving then. The toppings were mostly vegetables, spinach and bell peppers and pineapple.

Her relationship with both of her parents had changed over the course of the last six months, more than it had in the last two years since she had tried so hard to turn her life around from being a reckless delinquent to being homeschooled and getting her diploma before she had turned eighteen. Her relationship with her mother had been the biggest change in her life. They were closer now than they had ever been and in some ways, her mother had become her best friend.

Once the pizza was in the oven, the two headed out to sit on the back patio together. Emma continuously rubbed over her stomach even when she didn't feel the baby moving, it had just become an automatic habit that soothed not just the baby, but herself as well.

"Are you sure you'll be fine when your father and I go away this weekend?"

"I'm going to be fine," Emma assured her. "Besides, you and dad go away every year for Valentine's Day. I don't want you two to miss out on that just because of me."

"I am just worried about you," she replied. "What if something happens while we're gone?"

"Mom, nothing is going to happen. I'm going to be fine."

Two nights later, hours after her parents had driven down to Orlando for their annual Valentine's Day weekend trip, Emma was restless, miserable, and alone. She had spent a few hours going through some of the second-hand baby clothes her mother's friends had given to her, folding and refolding them and placing them in the small dresser in her room beside the crib her father had just put up earlier in the week for her.

She'd need a lot more once her son was born, that she knew, but how she was going to get anything and everything he'd need was her best guess. Neal had offered to help out financially as did her parents, but with what little money she'd made selling her photographs, she knew that it wouldn't be enough. With that in mind, she settled into her room just before nine that night and went through the portfolio she was preparing to send to a local agency that would help her sell her photographs instead of her attempting to do it all on her own.

It wasn't until she'd started taking photographs of the water and the beach that she realized she could capture those scenes in ways not just anyone could. She had inevitably found her niche and while her newfound dream of becoming a famous photographer would have to be put on hold, she still wanted to make that dream a reality one day. She had Regina to thank for even putting that idea into her head after she'd sent her a couple of pictures just to show her one of her most favorite places in the world to escape to.

It was five to ten when she felt the first sharp pain low in her abdomen. It passed just as quickly as it had come and she headed down the stairs and into the kitchen to make herself a cup of hot cocoa, her most recent craving that hit at all hours of the day in the past two days. The pain continued to come in waves, but Emma remembered what her doctor had told her about Braxton-Hicks and she convinced herself that was exactly what she was experiencing.

After she'd drank her cocoa, complete with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top, she headed back up to her room to lay down and listen to some soft, soothing music her mother suggested she try to help her fall asleep.

By midnight, she was even more restless than she had been earlier in the evening and she relocated down to the couch in the living room and found herself flipping aimlessly through the channels, stopping every time the pain came back and lasted just a little longer than the last one. A wave of panic fell over her when she realized that something was seriously wrong and before she could even get herself up off the couch, she felt her water break.

"Shit," Emma groaned and she clutched at her stomach. "Not now, kid, please," she whimpered and she felt another pain that made her cry out. "Crap, where the hell is the phone?"

Emma could barely stand on her own two feet, the pain far too intense, and she crawled through the living room on her hands and knees in search of the cordless phone. She tried to remember her breathing from the Lamaze classes her mother had taken her to, but it wasn't working and she gripped on to the edge of the doorway leading into the kitchen and let out a loud, guttural scream.

"Emma?" August Booth, her next-door neighbor, called out as he opened the back door. "Emma, are you all right? I heard—"

"Call an ambulance," Emma gasped and August rushed to her side. "I'm—I think I'm having the baby!"

"Where is the phone?"

"I don't know!" Emma screamed and she placed her head down on the cool tiled floor, panting hard as she clutched at her stomach.

August rushed through the house in search of the phone and Emma managed to crawl her way to the front door, knowing she had to get to the hospital even if she had to crawl the seven miles there herself.

She could faintly hear her neighbor yelling into the phone to the 911 operator that she was in labor and for them to send an ambulance immediately. She reached up for the front door and pulled it open as another contraction flooded through her body and it was followed by the sudden urge to push.

"August!" Emma cried out and he was at her side in a matter of seconds. "The baby is coming right now. I need to get out of here! I need to get to the fucking hospital right the fuck now!"

"They're on their way, Em," he said as he helped her up from her hands and knees, holding on to her as she doubled over in pain. "Emma, you need to relax right now. Maybe we should just go back inside and—"

"Fuck!" Emma yelled and they stumbled down the front steps together, August barely able to hold her upright. "Oh my god, he's coming right now," she said in a panic as she felt the pressure between her legs. "August, he's coming right now!"

Emma pulled free of his hold and fell to her knees on the front walkway just steps from the sidewalk. In the distance she could hear the sirens and they were growing louder and closer by the second.

"Emma, they're almost here," August said as he knelt beside her. "Just hold on for a few more minutes—"

"Tell that to the kid that's coming out of me right now!" Emma panted and she moved to lay on her back against the cool grass.

Emma barely managed to pull her shorts off and she gripped her knees, breathing through the worst contraction yet as best as she could. She shakily moved her hand between her legs and she gasped loudly when she could feel the baby's head. Within seconds the ambulance came to a screeching halt in front of the house and two paramedics rushed to her immediately.

"He's coming," Emma whimpered as the female paramedic moved between her legs and placed a towel down just under her. "He's coming right now."

"Breathe," the woman said calmly. "When you feel another contraction, I want you to push, okay? What is your name?"

"Emma."

"Okay, Emma, hi," she smiled as she pulled on the rubber gloves quickly. "I'm Ruby and it looks like I'll be delivering your baby tonight."

Everything seemed to happen so quickly, within a blink of an eye. Sweat beaded down her forehead as she pushed through the last contraction, stopping when the male paramedic put a gloved hand on her arm and told her to. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her neighbor barely able to stay standing upright, his face pale and looking as if he was about to faint.

"What is the status, Lucas?" The male asked and Emma went limp, her body feeling numb suddenly.

"No pulse," she replied and Emma struggled to lean up on her elbows to see what was happening.

"Why isn't he crying?" She whispered. "What's wrong with him?"

"Starting CPR," Ruby said and Emma blinked through her tears, trying to watch the woman try to save her baby's life, but it was dark and she could hardly see anything at all. "Billy, call ahead, we need to get the mother and baby to the hospital now."

"Cut the cord," he said as he handed the surgical scissors to her. "Calling ahead now."

Emma felt like her heart was about to give out and August knelt back down beside her and took her hand in his, holding on tight. She tried to sit up and with August's help she managed to just a little to see the paramedic performing CPR on the tiny baby on the towel on the ground in front of her.

"Why isn't he crying?" Emma whispered tearfully. "August?"

"I don't know, kiddo, just hold on. Give him a minute."

"He's not—oh," Emma sighed happily, more tears streaming down her cheeks as she heard her son start to cry loudly. "He's crying."

"He is," August smiled at her. "He's all right, see?"

A flood of relief washed over her, but she knew from what she overheard the two paramedics saying as they loaded her and her newborn son into the ambulance that they were far from being out of the woods yet. She dozed in an out on the quick ride to the hospital, the paramedic in the back with her telling her to relax and that everything was going to be okay.

"Is there someone we can call for you, hon?" Ruby asked as she switched her attention between the newborn baby and Emma. "Emma?"

"My—my parents," she whispered and she looked over at where August was sitting on the bench seat to her left. "Can you call them, August?"

"Yeah, yeah I can. I'll call them as soon as we get to the hospital," he nodded quickly. "Do you know what hotel they're staying in?" Upon Emma's tearful shake of her head, he placed a hand over hers. "Don't worry, Em, I'll find out. Just rest. Everything is going to be just fine, okay?"

"Friend?" Ruby asked him and he nodded and shrugged. "Are you the father?"

"No. Neighbor," August replied. "And a friend of the Swan's. Known Em here her whole life."

Emma laughed at how ridiculous it sounded for the paramedic to have made the assumption that August Booth might be the father. She felt woozy as she lolled her head to the side to look up at the beautiful, young paramedic that was checking her vitals. With a dopey, lopsided smile, one that was returned in earnest, she closed her eyes and gave into the inevitable pull of sleep.

[X]

Regina and her mother's trip to New Haven had been a success, at least as far as her mother was concerned. She had taken a complimentary tour of the campus, met with some of the professors and the dean himself. She and her mother spent the week looking at different houses and apartments that would become available by August at the very earliest. She and her mother had two very different ideas of what was suitable when it came to housing and it had resulted in many arguments throughout the week and on the long drive back home.

Her mother inevitably won the argument that morning, co-signing the lease for a three-bedroom house just a ten-minute walk from campus. Regina had liked the house, but it was more than what she'd need. Her mother begged to differ, and rather than argue with her in front of the real estate agent and the landlord that owned the house, Regina had given in and co-signed her name on the lease.

That hadn't stopped the argument as she had hoped it would, and by the time they arrived home late in the evening, she was mentally and physically exhausted. She didn't even say a word to her mother as they entered the house together and she dragged her suitcase up to her room, leaving it at the foot of her bed while she went straight for the phone to call Emma, as she had told her she would in the letter she'd sent a week before.

"David, just heat the bottle up on the stove and—hello?" Mary Margaret said in a rush when she picked up the phone.

"Hello Mrs. Swan, it's Regina," she said quietly. "Can I speak with Emma please?"

Regina could hear the sound of a baby wailing in the background and her heart started racing and her mind was going off a million miles a minute. Had Emma had her baby early? Her mouth went dry as the phone was shuffled around and she smiled when she heard Emma's voice for the first time in months.

"Hi," Emma said tiredly. "I was wondering when you were going to call."

"I only just got in," Regina replied. "Did you have the baby?"

"Yeah. Just last Sunday actually."

"Congratulations, Emma."

"Thanks," Emma said softly. "Do you want to know his name?"

"Of course I want to know his name," Regina laughed and she felt the butterflies in her stomach take flight when she heard Emma laugh too. "I want to hear everything. Were you in labor long? What does he look like? Does he have any hair? How much did he weigh?"

"Regina," Emma chuckled quietly. "One question at a time, okay?"

She couldn't fight the smile that curled over her lips as Emma recalled her story of how she'd gone into labor and ended up giving birth to her son out on the front lawn. It seemed so ridiculous to her that she'd given birth to her son on the front lawn with her next-door neighbor there and even Emma was inclined to agree with her. After Emma finished telling her the story, they both grew quiet.

"What is his name, Emma?"

She heard Emma inhale sharply. "Henry."


	3. Chapter 3

**Part III**

Over the next three years, Emma and Regina kept in touch, moving on from their every other week letters to almost daily emails with pictures of Henry Swan attached to each one. Regina loved opening her email after a long day of classes to be greeted by his smiling face. She loved watching him grow each month, turning from a chubby happy little baby into a cheeky looking toddler with a slightly mischievous look in his hazel eyes.

Even though she wasn't physically in Emma and Henry's life, she felt like she was still very much a part of it. She loved that little boy almost as if he were her own and sometimes, especially now since he was starting to talk more and more, Emma would put him on the phone during their weekly chats and let him babble baby nonsense to her for sometimes almost an hour. And she loved every second of it.

By the time Regina finished her second year of university, she and Daniel had eloped spontaneously one afternoon early in June. He had proposed just six months before over Christmas dinner at her mother's house. Her mother hadn't approved, of course, but that didn't stop either of them from getting married. Daniel had relocated from Augusta down to New Haven, taking on a job as a firefighter that spring. Their honeymoon was in New York City and it was only for the weekend as Daniel was needed back in New Haven since they were short several men at the fire hall that week.

"Regina, you can unpack the bags later," Daniel said as he wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed the side of her head lovingly. "I have to go to work in a few hours and I was thinking…"

"You were thinking?" Regina chuckled as she turned in his arms. "What were you thinking of, darling?"

"You, me, our bed," he murmured softly as Regina kissed over his stubbly cheek and lips. "What do you say?"

"Wait for me," Regina said as she pushed at his chest playfully. "I need to check the answering machine and my email."

"Of course," he smiled, knowing that it was always the first thing she did whenever she got home. He had been very understanding when she told him about Emma, and he even talked to Emma a few times on the phone when she'd called while Regina had been out or on her way home. "Say hello to the little man for me, will you?"

Regina smiled and nodded before walking into the bedroom they'd turned into her personal office last year. She turned on her laptop and looked over the many framed pictures of Henry she had on the wall alongside the pictures that Emma had taken over the last five years. There were plenty of her and Daniel, of her and Kathryn when Kathryn and Fred had gotten married the summer before. The ones that dominated the walls in her office were that of Henry Swan and his beautiful mother.

Regina was a little disappointed to find that there wasn't an email waiting in her inbox from Emma, just as there hadn't been for almost four days since she told her she was going to New York City with Daniel on their honeymoon. With a frown, she opened the last email she had gotten from Emma and went through the dozen pictures she had sent along.

Over the past couple of months, Regina had noticed a brunette woman in some of the pictures of Henry, but Emma never said who she was and she just automatically assumed it was a friend of hers. At least that is what she had tried to tell herself, that she tried to convince herself that woman was just a friend and nothing more. She had no right to be jealous. She was a married woman now, spoken for, and Emma would always just been her friend from Tallahassee.

She clicked through a few of those pictures, and her stomach flipped when she realized how much she wanted to be in that woman's place, holding Henry, laughing with him as Emma took dozens of pictures in a matter of minutes, capturing every second of that special moment. She didn't even realize she was crying until Daniel called out for her and she closed the lid to the laptop hard.

She was wiping away her tears when Daniel walked into her office, frowning as he leaned up against the doorframe. Regina knew that look, she knew it all too well and she frowned and shook her head no.

"I know," Daniel sighed. "They just called me in early," he said as he waved his pager slightly before clipping it back on his belt. "I'm sorry, Regina."

"No, no it's okay," she said as she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You go and save some lives tonight, okay? Just come home to me, safe and sound, darling."

"Always."

After sharing a loving kiss goodbye, Regina watched him from the front door as he walked down to his truck and took off down the street. Regina stepped inside the house, the very same house she and her mother had argued over years before when she had first co-signed the lease. The owner of the house had already reached out to her and Daniel, asking if they'd be interested in buying the house as a mortgage would be much cheaper than a lease.

It was something she knew could be a good option for the next two years until she decided whether to continue on to her Masters or to relocate to another school to continue on there for another four years. It wasn't as if she and Daniel didn't have the money, they'd both been saving up for years now for their first home they'd buy together. Still, it was a decision she needed some time to think about because she didn't want to stay in New Haven and eventually have a family that she would raise there. She dreamt of having two children with Daniel and moving back to Storybrooke to take over his family's farm, just as it had been done for many generations. She'd open up her own practice in Storybrooke, something that the town lacked in and people went to the hospital for check-ups instead of a general practitioner that was their family doctor.

Back when she first started at Yale, she still hadn't wanted to be a doctor and to follow in her mother's footsteps, but as she submerged herself in those first year classes, she found it intriguing and she was surprisingly good at learning the different tools and methods she'd need to one day become a doctor. Her whole world had changed in just a handful of years and while she still had dreams of being a teacher, it just wasn't a profession that would challenge her in the way that being a doctor would.

During the first and second year, she had an apprenticeship with a local GP over the summer months that really made up her mind—and her dreams for her future. It hadn't been a paid apprenticeship, but she had walked away with knowledge that couldn't necessarily be taught.

Like Daniel was right from the beginning, Emma was nothing but supportive of her decision to ultimately follow in her mother's footsteps. But when she talked with Emma, they didn't talk about her classes like she did with Daniel almost every night. They talked about other things, about one day meeting face-to-face, maybe with one of them moving to the same city or town as the other and spending their days hanging out instead of exchanging emails and phone calls whenever they got the chance.

It had gotten to a point in her life that she couldn't see a future without Emma and her adorable little boy in it, one way or another. She had kept every letter that Emma had sent her over the last five years and she had even printed out every email she had sent save for the one she'd trashed years ago. Every letter, every picture that wasn't currently in a frame and on one of the walls in the house, was kept in an elegant cedar chest at the foot of her and Daniel's bed.

She wanted to tell Emma all about New York City, she wanted to tell her that she'd found Henry the perfect little stuffed bear with his name stitched on it's chest, complete with a cute little backwards cap and red Converse shoes. She wanted to hear about Henry's trip to the beach Emma mentioned that she was taking him on over the weekend, his first trip he'd likely remember as he got older. But most of all she just wanted to talk to Emma, to hear her voice, to hear her laugh that never failed to send shivers down her spine.

Regina grabbed a glass of wine before she went to sit on the front porch, phone in hand. She dialed Emma's number from memory and smiled as she held the phone up to her ear as the line began to ring. She waved to her next-door neighbors as they walked out on to their front porch, no doubt to enjoy the warm evening breeze.

"Hello?" A woman asked when the call was picked up.

"Um, hello," Regina said, a little flustered since she didn't recognize the woman's voice. "Is Emma there?"

"Who is calling?"

"Regina Mills."

"Yeah," the woman replied with a small grunt. "Hold on. Em! Phone!"

Regina wondered for a brief moment if the woman that answered the phone was the same woman she'd seen in some of the pictures of Henry. She shook her head, took a sip of her wine, and waited for Emma to pick up the phone. After a minute passed, she heard some shuffling before Emma finally spoke.

"Hey," she drawled out smoothly. "How was your honeymoon?"

"Short," Regina replied with a small laugh. "How are you, Emma?"

"Been better," she replied with a sigh. "I think Henry got swimmer's ear while we were at the beach yesterday. He's been cranky all day, his ear is red, and he keeps touching it and crying."

"Have you taken him to the doctor yet?"

"First thing tomorrow morning," Emma replied. "But I was hoping the future Dr. Mills could provide me with some insight, or is it going to be Dr. Farmer?"

"Dr. Mills," Regina said with a slight scoff. "You know I am not changing my name. My father wouldn't have wanted me to."

"I know," Emma said quietly, almost apologetically. The line crackled a little bit and Regina could hear Henry crying in the background. "Henry, I know it hurts, baby. Mama is going to run you a bath as soon as I get off the phone with Regina."

"Does Henry have a fever?" Regina asked and she heard Emma say yes, albeit a little faintly. She asked her a series of other questions she knew Emma could answer and describe. "It definitely sounds like it is swimmer's ear. A bath is not the best idea right now. You'll need to keep the ear dry to prevent it from becoming any worse."

"Shit, you're right," Emma groaned. "Babe, stop the water! Regina says a bath isn't a good idea!" Emma said, though her voice was muffled as she covered the mouthpiece. Regina's stomach flopped a little at hearing her call the other woman "babe". She took another sip of her wine and waited. "Sorry," Emma said after a moment. "Ruby was just running him a bath upstairs."

"Ruby?" Regina questioned quietly. "Is she a friend of yours?"

"Uh yeah, sort of," Emma stammered. "She's my girlfriend actually."

"Oh."

"It's pretty new, you know, and I didn't tell you because I didn't want to jinx it for us," Emma explained quickly. "We've only been seeing each other for about a month and a half now. Officially, anyway."

"That's…wonderful, Emma."

"Yeah?" Emma asked and then she laughed. "It's funny because Ruby was the paramedic who delivered Henry. We kept in touch after that and well, one thing led to another and here we are."

Regina wasn't sure why she was crying and she furiously wiped at her tears, careful not to let any of her soft sobs be heard over the line. She knew what she was feeling was uncalled for, but she couldn't help herself and the emotions that flooded through her at hearing how _happy_ Emma was.

"I told you, babe, you were right," Emma said, her voice muffled.

"I'm not a doctor, Em, I'm just a paramedic," she heard Ruby reply. "But you still need to take him down to the clinic first thing tomorrow morning, okay?"

"Emma?" Regina tried, unable to stand to hear their muffled conversation. "I need to go. I just wanted to call you to—to say hello."

"I'm sorry, Regina," Emma said quietly. "It's just not a good time to talk right now."

"I understand."

"I'll call tomorrow, okay?" Emma asked and Regina frowned as she lifted her glass to her lips and downed the rest of her wine. "What time is your last class over?"

"Six."

"Okay, I'll talk to you then?" Emma asked. "Regina?"

"Yes, yes of course. Have a good night, Emma. Give Henry a kiss from me, will you?"

"Of course," Emma laughed. "Night, Regina."

Regina sobbed quietly as she hung up the call before Emma did. She placed the cordless phone down on the table beside the chair on the front porch and wiped at her eyes. She headed inside when she noticed her next-door neighbors looking over at her curiously and as soon as the front door shut behind her, she slid down to the floor and clutched the phone to her chest tightly.

[X]

Emma was seriously grouchy, but her son definitely was a lot grouchier than she was. After having swimmer's ear for the better part of a week, the drops the doctor prescribed not doing much of anything at all, and by the time it cleared up, he was coughing and sneezing up a storm.

On top of her son being sick, Ruby had been working overtime all week and she'd barely seen her since the weekend. Even in the years they'd been friends, they'd never gone more than three days without seeing or speaking with one another and every time Emma would call when she knew Ruby was home, Ruby would snap at her and tell her to let her sleep the few hours she had off in between her shifts.

In the years she'd known Ruby, especially after reconnecting with her when Henry was three months old and then ran into each other at a park just a few blocks away from the Swan house, Ruby had never pulled the bitch attitude on her even on some of her worst weeks. Emma hadn't even planned or expected something more than friendship to develop between them, but as the months turned into years, it had just happened, and rather slowly at that.

"Mama?" Henry pouted as he tugged on her hand. "Go sleep?" He asked and Emma nodded, moving to get up from the couch and she picked her son up, kissing over his face and noticing how warm he felt, warmer than he'd been earlier.

"Oh, baby boy, are you not feeling any better?"

Henry's bottom lip trembled as he started to cry. Emma carried him up to their room and placed him in his crib before she grabbed her newly acquired cell phone and dialed Regina's number. She placed the tiny bear that Ruby had bought for him in the hospital gift shop the day he was born in the crib with him and waited for Regina to pick up.

She frowned deeply when she got nothing but the answering machine. She knew that Friday mornings Regina didn't have class until one in the afternoon and it was only nine. Much like with her not seeing much of Ruby all week, she hadn't spoken to Regina since Sunday night. She had emailed her twice, but hadn't gotten a reply either and her frown deepened as she looked over at her fussing son who was standing in his crib, clutching his bear and sucking on his thumb.

"I know," Emma said as she walked over to the crib and ran her hand over his brown hair, feeling parts of it matted to his scalp due to the fever making him sweat. "I wanted to talk to Regina too. She must be busy, kid."

"Busy," Henry repeated around his thumb. "Go sleep?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded and normally she'd pull his thumb out of his mouth, a habit she was trying to break, but with him not feeling well, she didn't have the energy to deal with a cranky toddler at the moment. "Mama is going to be right here. You go to sleep, Henry. Do you want me to read you a story?"

Henry shook his head no, moving to lay down in his crib he was quickly becoming too big to sleep in anymore. She wished she could give him his own room, get a place of her own to do that for him, but getting a job had been difficult and any money she did make from her photographs was spent on her son and his needs. Neal still sent money every month, but he wasn't around much at all. It still wasn't enough. It'd never be enough.

While Henry slept, Emma went through her portfolio. It had changed since she had Henry and while she'd used him for some shots, his face was never visible. She loved those pictures, but it seemed as if she was the only one. One by one she pulled all the photographs out of her binder and laid them out on the floor and on her bed, going through it as she had a hundred times, picking the ones that caught her eye.

Her frustration was mounting and she gave up when the binder was not even halfway filled again. She needed to get back out there, take her camera, hop in the old yellow Volkswagen Bug her parents had scraped together to buy her just after Henry was born, and go. Go wherever her heart led her, go where her camera could capture life around her in a way nobody had ever seen before.

But it wasn't something she could just do, not with Henry, not with him being sick, not with less than twenty dollars in her bank account and very little gas in the Bug's tank. She couldn't even ask her parents for some gas money since they were barely scraping by as it was.

She left the photographs that were still out, scattered over the floor and her bed, quietly exiting the room to let Henry sleep for a little bit longer. Her mother was usually home now that school was out until August, but she'd been spending time at the neighbors house across the street, helping the old lady that lived there clean, cook, and tend to her garden in the backyard. She was a little surprised to find her mother sitting at the kitchen table when she walked in and she helped herself to a cup of coffee and joined her at the table.

"How is Henry feeling?"

"He has a bit of a fever. He's sleeping now."

"You look tired, sweetie," Mary Margaret said softly. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, yeah everything is all right, Mom," Emma sighed. "It's just been a long week."

Mary Margaret smiled and reached out to pat her hand. "How about you go for a drive?"

"I don't have enough gas in the Bug to do that," she replied and she stopped her mother from reaching for her purse. "No, don't do that, Mom."

"Sweetie, sometimes mother's need a break before they wear themselves out too much. Go fill the tank, take a drive. I'll look after Henry for a couple of hours."

"What about Mrs. Gulch?" Emma asked. "Doesn't she need you to come around today?"

"Her granddaughter is in town for the weekend."

"Oh."

Mary Margaret pulled out a couple of twenty dollar bills and placed them on the table in front of her. "Go for a drive, Emma. Get out of here and go clear your head. If there is any change left after you put some gas in the Bug, go grab one of those greasy burgers that you love, even a slice of Emilio's pizza."

"Mom…"

"Take it," Mary Margaret insisted. "I can manage looking after Henry for a couple of hours. If he gets any worse, I'll call you. That's why you got that cell phone, isn't it?"

Emma shook her head and wrapped her hands around her coffee mug. She slid one of the bills back towards her and took the other, folding it up and sliding it into the pocket of her denim cut-offs.

"I'll take a walk instead," she said quietly. "You need the money more than I do."

"Emma—"

"No, Mom, I can't take all of it. I'll bring back the change after I get a slice of Emilio's pizza, okay? Do you want me to bring you back a slice?"

Mary Margaret chuckled as she paced a hand over her stomach. "I really shouldn't," she said quietly. "But I have been having cravings that I cannot explain. Perhaps one of those veggie lovers slices wouldn't hurt."

Emma smiled and left her coffee untouched before she stood and gave her mother a single kiss to the top of her head, playfully ruffling her short hair before she slipped on her sandals, grabbed her keys, and headed out the back door. Despite how hot it was already, Emma breathed in deep and tilted her face up to the mid-morning sun with a smile curled over her lips.

When she was younger, she had always complained about Tallahassee, how boring the town was, and for a young teenager maybe it was, but now she appreciated her hometown in ways she never thought she would. Everyone would wave hello if she passed them on the street and even the shopkeepers she had stolen from or vandalized their building in the past, were friendly with her now.

Most of the people she'd gone to high school with left as fast as they could, whether off to college or just to another part of the state. Anywhere but there. Even Emma had thoughts once in a while of packing up and leaving, taking Henry somewhere else, to another town, another state, raising him in the place she hadn't been raised out of fears he would one day end up exactly how she had before she'd turned her life around.

Emma didn't spend too long away from Henry, stopping at Emilio's for a slice of pizza loaded with pepperoni, bacon and sausage. She ate it on the curb, her mother's veggie slice packed in a flat paper bag, and the change left over in the front pocket of her denim cut-offs. It was only just short of two hours she had been gone and she headed back, stopping at August's when she saw the middle-aged man kneeling in his front garden pulling weeds.

"Hey," Emma smiled at him and he grinned as he wiped at his brow, smearing some dirt along his forehead. "How is that book coming along, Booth?"

"Slowly yet surely," he replied as he stood up and wiped his hands on his shorts. "I could use with some inspiration."

"What kind of inspiration?"

"You're good with pictures, photographs," he replied and she shrugged. "You're still doing that, aren't you, Em?"

"When I get the chance to, yeah, but mostly my main subject these days is Henry."

August chuckled. "Of course he is, but in all seriousness, Em, I do need some inspiration. The setting of my novel takes place by the ocean. I don't get out there much at all these days and—"

"I can bring some over for you," Emma smiled at him. "I have some spare prints. They'll be yours to keep, tack on your wall of inspiration or whatever."

"Wall of—now that's a good idea," August chuckled. "Say hello to the little man for me, will you?"

"I will," Emma replied. "I'll drop the pictures off in a little while."

"No rush!"

Emma waved goodbye as she crossed his front yard and into her own. She headed inside and straight for the kitchen when her mother wasn't in the living room, but she wasn't in the kitchen either. Emma placed the slice of pizza down on the kitchen table, kicked off her sandals and headed upstairs. As she passed her room, she came to a sudden stop when she saw Henry standing up in his crib, tears streaming down his cheeks as he sucked on his thumb.

She picked him up and placed a hand against his forehead and while he was warm, his fever had gone down while he'd slept. Moving him to her hip, she headed to her parents' bedroom in search of her mother and when she heard the familiar sounds coming from the bathroom, she placed Henry down on the floor.

"Stay here, okay?"

"Okay."

"Mom?" Emma called out tentatively as she knocked on the closed en-suite door. There was no immediate answer so she knocked again. "Mom, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, sweetie."

Emma shook her head. "I'm coming in," she said before she opened the door and found her mother kneeling on the floor and hovering over the toilet. "Mom, you okay? Are you sick?"

Mary Margaret shook her head and flushed the toilet, sitting back on her haunches as she used a few squares of toilet paper to wipe her mouth. "Just felt a little nauseous, sweetie. It's nothing. I'm fine."

Emma knelt down beside her and placed a hand to her forehead. "You're not sick?" She asked and Mary Margaret shook her head no. "Mom?"

"What?"

Emma just stared at her until she shook her head. "Nah, there is no way."

"No way what?"

"That you're pregnant. You're like, forty-five!"

"Forty-two," Mary Margaret chuckled dryly before her eyes went wide. "Oh no."

"No," Emma said. "Don't say oh no."

"It's been so long, I'd forgotten."

"Forgotten what?"

"The signs, the symptoms," she whispered faintly. "Oh no."

"Gammy?" Henry asked from where he stood in the doorway. "Gammy okay?"

"I'm fine, sweetheart," Mary Margaret said as she smiled over at him. "Emma, I need you to run down to the store for me," she said as she pulled the other twenty out that Emma had given back to her before. Emma shook her head no and Mary Margaret placed a hand on her cheek. "Please. Just to be sure. It could be something else, food poisoning, maybe even a little flu bug, but—please can you?"

"Okay," Emma said as she stood up slowly. "I uh, I left the slice of pizza down on the table if you—" She turned away as her mother hunched over the toilet once again, dry heaving as Emma started towards the door. "Never mind. Come on, kid, we're going to the store. You feeling up for it?"

Even though he wasn't feeling well, a bit of sunshine and fresh air for twenty minutes wouldn't hurt. He just lifted his hands up towards her and she picked him up, kissing over his slightly red cheeks as she walked out of the en-suite, through her parents' bedroom and into the hall.

She was barely out the front door a few minutes later when she ran into Ruby standing on the front porch, still dressed in her work uniform and holding a bouquet of red roses.

"Ruby!" Emma exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here? I thought you were working overtime all week?"

"I am, I mean, I was. I just got off my last shift for the next four days and I thought," she said and she glanced down at the roses in her hand shyly. "I thought I'd surprise you, babe."

"Definitely surprised," Emma chuckled and she shifted Henry to her right hip and leaned in to kiss Ruby's soft lips lightly. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," she replied. "Where are you two off to?"

Emma took the bouquet of roses from her and put them on the table just inside the front door before she reached out for Ruby's hand. "I think my mom is pregnant," she whispered so Henry wouldn't hear even though he wouldn't quite understand.

"She is?"

"I don't know, maybe. She wants me to go down to the store to get her a pregnancy test. That's where we're headed right now."

"Shit," she said under her breath. "Isn't she like pushing fifty?"

"Ruby!" Emma chuckled as they walked down the front walkway to Ruby's red Mustang that was parked at the curb. "Are you too tired to walk?"

"Never," Ruby replied and she held up a hand before she popped the trunk of her car. "I have a surprise for Henry."

"Oh?"

"For me?" Henry looked over at Ruby with wide eyes.

"I picked it up at my grandmother's house a few weeks ago," Ruby said quickly and she pulled out a classic Red Flyer wagon, freshly painted. "It used to be mine when I was a kid. I fixed it up. Every kid growing up should have one of these, yeah?"

"Busted mine when I was eleven trying to use it as a skateboard," Emma chuckled and she waited for Ruby to put the wagon down on the sidewalk before she sat Henry down in it. "You didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to," Ruby grinned and she leaned in to kiss Emma lightly on the lips. She turned her attention to Henry and knelt on the sidewalk beside him. "So, what do you think, Henry? Do you like it?"

"Yeah!"

[X]

By the time August rolled around, Regina had settled into a fairly simple routine, playing the role of a doting housewife while squeezing in some studying before the third year was due to start in a month. She and Daniel lived a rather relaxing life, enjoying the summer as best as they could when he wasn't working those long seventeen hour shifts.

Though she and Emma didn't talk as much as they used to, Emma still sent pictures of Henry to her email at least twice a week and they still talked for a few hours, sometimes on a Saturday night if Emma and Ruby weren't having a date night. It had taken her a few months to be okay with hearing about Ruby, about the things they did, and how happy Emma seemed to be. The crushing feeling she'd gotten months ago had mostly subsided, and when she could avoid talking about the woman in Emma's life, she did.

Cora had even made the trip down in the middle of July to spend a week there with her and Daniel, and while she still didn't approve of their marriage, she was surprisingly neutral and civil with both of them. There had been talks of them starting a family at some point, but Regina told her she was focused on her studies and would want to finish her residency before she even thought about starting a family with Daniel. Cora had pressed the issue a little too much for Regina's liking, but she took it all in stride because it was better than having her mother placate her over her relationship with a man her mother deemed unworthy of her daughter.

Like most days, Regina ate dinner by herself and retreated to the front porch with a glass of wine and one of her textbooks to wait for Daniel to come home from a double shift. It was a hot day, the humidity making the air feel heavy and she had made a spontaneous trip to the salon that morning, cutting her hair that was below her shoulders to just below her ears. It was a risky move, but she had loved the freeing feeling it gave her.

And she definitely couldn't wait for Daniel to see it because she knew how much he would love it. She smiled into her glass of wine before taking a sip and flipped through her textbook aimlessly. She put her textbook down when her cell phone started to ring and she flipped it open, smiling as she answered.

"Hello darling," Regina purred.

"Hello my angel," Daniel replied lowly. "How was your day?"

"Pleasant as always," she replied. "I got a hair cut this morning."

"Did you?" Daniel chuckled. "What does it look like?"

"You'll have to come home and see it yourself."

"I can't wait," he said and he sighed quietly. "Two guys called in sick and—"

"No," Regina snapped. "You've just worked a double shift, Daniel!"

"I'm still the rookie, Regina, and you know we have to prove our worth at the station to move up the ranks. I had a few hours of sleep this afternoon. I'll be fine."

"No, you need to come home."

"Regina—"

"I don't like it when you're gone for more than a day," she sighed and she blinked back her tears. "Can't someone else take the shift so you can come home to me?"

"I wish there was," he said softly. "I love you, you know that, and after a couple more months, these double shifts are going to be a thing of the past. I promise and I—"

The loud ringing of the alarm at the station cut him off and Regina shook her head and wiped at her tears. "Daniel?"

"I have to go, Regina. I love you. "

"I love you too. Be safe, darling."

"Always."

Regina snapped her phone shut and downed the rest of her wine. It was less than a minute later before she could hear the sirens just off in the distance and her stomach turned in knots as she headed back inside to get another glass of wine. After about ten minutes, more sirens could be heard and while it wasn't unusual, her stomach twisted into a tighter knot.

She placed her glass of wine, nearly finished, on the table beside the chair and grabbed her cell phone. She clutched it to her chest as she walked down the stone path towards the sidewalk in just her bare feet. Several of her neighbors stepped outside, heading down to the street as it sounded like a dozen more sirens started to go off, sounding near but not that close.

"Sounds like a big one," the old man from across the road said to her. "Is your husband working tonight?"

"Y—yes he is," Regina stammered.

"Charles!" The old man's wife called out from the front door. "The news lady on the radio said the retirement home caught fire. Five alarm!"

"Big one," the old man replied and Regina's heart dropped a little bit. A five alarm was not just a big fire, it was a huge one, and extremely dangerous.

Regina started walking down the street without turning back to slip on some shoes or grab the keys to the house. She clutched her cell phone tighter against her chest, her feet moving on their own accord and in the direction of the retirement home just two blocks away.

She wasn't the only one headed in that direction. People walked out of their houses and headed in the same direction, some got into their cars to drive down to the retirement home to see what was going on for themselves. Regina swallowed the lump in her throat and when she rounded the corner, that's when she could smell the smoke.

Regina followed the crowd of a dozen or so more people that headed down the street and she could see at least four engines parked on the road in front of the retirement home, half a dozen ambulances and twice as many police cars. Regina gripped her cell phone even tighter, almost amazed that it hadn't crushed under the grip she had on it and she weaved her way through the gathering crowd, coming to a stop at the police tape one of the officers was using to hold the crowd back.

Regina tried to see if she could see Daniel, but with the four dozen firefighters working the scene, scrambling to not only control and put out the fire put help the residents inside get out, it was virtually impossible for her to spot her husband. She knew the worst thing was being there during a major fire her husband was responding to, but she saw several of his coworkers' wives begin to arrive as well.

"Regina!"

She turned at the sound of a familiar voice. Dawn, the wife of one of Daniel's coworkers and good friend Adam Stradwick, waved at her when she spotted her in the growing crowd. Regina frowned as Dawn hurried over towards her with her young daughter Faith nestled on her hip, the poor three-year-old girl in her pajama's and half asleep.

"Dawn," Regina said as she reached her. "What are you doing here?"

"I'd ask you the same thing," Dawn replied over the din of the crowd and the yells of the firemen shouting out to the others to bring in another hose. "It's a big one."

"Indeed it is," she nodded and she looked at the small child in Dawn's arms, smiling at the sleepy, confused girl. "Hello Faith."

"Hi Gina."

Regina rubbed over the girl's back and turned her attention back to the raging inferno inside the five-storey building. Her heart was pounding and the lump in her throat was too hard to swallow. She knew that Daniel lived for moments like this, that he loved the adrenaline rush that came with the dangers of his job. But New Haven never saw emergencies of this magnitude and Regina was growing increasingly worried, not just for her husband, but for all that were involved.

"Have you seen Dan?" Dawn asked her and Regina shook her head no. "Adam?"

"No," Regina replied while her eyes scanned over the chaotic scene before them.

"Everyone step back!" The Sheriff shouted as half a dozen officers tried to keep the crowd back and away from the danger ahead. "Step back!"

"Adam!" Dawn cried out as she spotted her husband pulling off his hat and mask, struggling to breathe as two other firefighters helped him towards an ambulance.

"Dawn—"

"Can you hold her for a minute?" Dawn asked frantically, not even waiting for Regina to answer before she handed her three-year-old daughter into Regina's arms and ducked under the police tape, taking off in a run towards her husband.

The child's mousy-brown hair stuck to her face as she laid her head against Regina's shoulder, unfazed by the commotion going on all around her. She stuck her fingers in her mouth before reaching out with that same hand a second later to grab at Regina's short hair. She eased the child's fingers away from her hair and neck and strained to see where the girl's mother had run off.

Regina took the chance of ducking under the police tape when she saw an opening and she rushed over to the ambulance where Dawn was panicking as her husband received oxygen and two paramedics checked over him despite his protests.

"Leave me alone," Adam barked at them and he grabbed the oxygen mask, inhaled deeply a few times before he tried to stand up from the back of the ambulance, losing his balance almost immediately. "Don't touch me!"

"Adam—"

"Dawn, what the hell are you doing here?" He asked and he tried to open up his jacket, panting hard. "You shouldn't be here."

"Daddy?" Faith asked quietly and Adam turned immediately, taking his daughter from Regina's arms. "Daddy okay?"

"I'm okay, baby girl," he whispered, his voice much rougher than usual. "Dawn, take Faith home now."

"Adam—"

"Take her home right now," he said, kissing his daughter on the forehead before placing her into her mother's arms. "I need to get back. I need to—" Adam all but collapsed when he tried to walk away from the back of the ambulance and three paramedics forced him to sit back down. "Those are my men in there! I can't let them do this on their own! I need to be in there!"

Regina jumped as she heard her cell phone ring and she had to ease her grip on it in order to open it. She lifted it shakily to her ear as she answered it, not saying a word as she watched six men rush towards the entrance of the building all at once.

"Get back!" One of the police officers shouted in the seconds before half of the building near the front collapsed.

"Regina?"

"Emma?" She asked shakily. "Emma?"

"Hey," Emma said, but the call was already starting to cut out a little. "You there?"

"I—I'm here," she stammered. "Now is not a good—"

"You'll never believe—" Emma cut out for a few seconds as Regina peered around the side of the ambulance to see another part of the building beginning to collapse. "August is going to—can you believe it?"

"Emma, I can't—"

"August got a book deal and he—my pictures—it's not much but—can you believe it?"

"Emma, you're breaking up," Regina stressed and she groaned quietly as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Can I call you back later?"

"Regina?"

The line went dead and Regina snapped her phone shut before emerging from behind the ambulance. She saw Dawn holding Faith, who was crying as she tried to soothe her while Adam continued to fight against the paramedics, wanting to go back to fight the inferno that had consumed nearly the entire building. Regina took a few staggering steps forward, her cell phone slipping from her hands as the fire chief held his men back.

"Medic!" One of the firemen shouted as the dust and smoke somewhat cleared as he ran away from the burning building. "Man down! Medic!"

"Civilian?" A medic asked as he and three others rushed forward.

Regina watched the scene unfold before her with tears in her eyes. Half a dozen firefighters rushed towards the half-demolished building, clearing out a path to safely retrieve their man. She looked all around frantically, trying to find her husband, but none of the men that passed by or rushed into the building was him. She held her breath, watching as the men brought out three elderly women, one of the ladies yelling at the firefighters to save her six other cats that were still trapped inside her room on the third floor.

Regina saw the chief and she walked over to where he was standing talking to several of his other men. She waited until his attention was on her and she shook her head at the frown that curled over his lips, barely visible under his bushy moustache.

"Regina, what are you doing here?"

"Where is he?"

"Regina—"

"Chief, where is he? Where is my husband?"

They both looked over at the men exiting the building, shouting for a medic as they carried one of their own out on a small stretcher, the medics rushing forward to tend to the fallen firefighter. The man on the stretcher struggled against the help, shouting at them to stop.

The chief grabbed a hold of Regina, shielding her as another part of the building collapsed. The crowd gathered backed up instantly as everything seemed to come to a dead silence all at once. The chief handed her off to another firefighter, but Regina barely heard a word he said as the man who wasn't her husband tried to get her to back away to no avail.

"Ma'am, you need to remain calm," the man said to her and she shook her head as she struggled against his hold on her arms. "Ma'am, please—""

"Where is my husband?"

"Who is—"

"Daniel," she said thickly. "Daniel Farmer."

He shook his head and Regina knew this man wasn't from the same ladder as her husband so he had no idea who she was talking about. She pushed him away and started to walk towards the fire chief only to be stopped by Dawn who had rushed from the ambulance her husband was being treated in.

"Adam said he saw Daniel go up to the third floor," she said quietly, her tears mirroring Regina's in the heat of the tense moment. "He was with Jones," she said as she pointed to the firefighter that had been carried out on the stretcher. "Regina—"

"Everyone accounted for?" The chief yelled out and several men rushed around to count each of the responding firefighters, injured and otherwise. "Is everyone accounted for? The building is about to collapse completely!"

"Sir," one of the men said as he rushed past Regina towards the chief. "We're missing two."

"Who?"

"Babcock and Farmer."

"Get them out of there!"

"Sir—"

"Find out how many civilians made it out and get our men—"

"All civilians are out, sir."

Regina felt Dawn grip at her arm and they watched in horror as the last of the building collapsed, the damage far too extensive and the fire still raging in the rubble. Regina's heart was crushed as everyone fell into silence and amongst some of the whispers she just barely heard, she knew that what she feared most every day when her husband walked out the door had come true.

[X]

Emma danced around the living room with Henry in her arms, kissing his face over and over, causing him to giggle uncontrollably as her parents and August looked on. The moment that August had come over with the news her photographs had been compiled into a cover for his first published novel and that she would receive a check for a few thousand dollars, the very first thing she had done was call Regina.

The answering machine message was new and it relayed a cell phone number for Regina and for Daniel. She had hung up and called that very number, and even in her excitement she barely noticed that the line was cutting out until the call dropped.

Ruby hadn't even crossed her mind until she walked into the house and Emma stopped dancing around the living room with Henry, a frown sliding in to place when she looked over at her girlfriend.

"What is going on?" Ruby asked. "Are you celebrating something?"

"August got his book published," Emma smiled. "Isn't that great?"

"Congratulations, man!" Ruby laughed as she high fived him and turned to look at Emma. "Not that it isn't great, but why are you—"

"My pictures, they're going to be his cover. The publishing company is going to pay me for the rights to use them," Emma said in a rush. "Isn't that awesome?"

"Awesome!" Henry repeated gleefully.

"Yeah, Em, that's great!" Ruby said but her smile was forced and Emma handed Henry off to her mother and took Ruby's arm to lead her into the kitchen. "You're finally getting paid for what you do best, Em, that's—"

"Cut the shit," Emma said lowly. "What's wrong?"

"Did you call her first?" Ruby asked. "You did, didn't you?"

"Who? Regina? Yeah I did, but—"

"Why do you always do this?"

"Do what?"

"Put her first, put her before me."

Emma opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Ruby wasn't wrong. She did tend to put Regina first, especially when it came to good news. Regina had been the first one she called when her mother's pregnancy was confirmed and she had been the first one that Emma called when they found out her mother was having a boy.

"I get that she's your friend," Ruby continued. "But she's not here. I am. I'm here."

"I know. I'm sorry. It's just that—"

"No, Em, just stop. Stop making excuses. Stop trying to convince me that she isn't always the first person to come to mind when it comes to anything that happens in your life, good or bad. She's always going to be first, isn't she?"

"Ruby—"

"No," Ruby sighed. "I know what you're going to say and I don't want to hear it again. I hear about Regina so often that sometimes I feel like I'm dating her and not you."

"That's not true."

"Isn't it?"

"Why are we fighting about this?" Emma asked and she frowned deeply when Ruby just shook her head and walked out the back door. "Ruby, don't walk away from me, please. Talk to me. Tell me why it bothers you so much that I called Regina first? You were working! I know not to call you while you're working and I was going to tell you tonight."

"Why does it bother me so much?" Ruby rolled her eyes. "Em, I love you, I do, but sometimes I feel like you're in love with her and not me."

"What?" Emma asked incredulously. "I'm not in love with her!"

"You are. You're so blinded by it that you can't see how you feel about her."

"She's married for fucks sake!" Emma exclaimed and she was beginning to get really angry at Ruby and her stupid accusations. "I have never even met her!"

"Oh I know she's married. I was there when she called you to tell you that she and her boyfriend had eloped. You were fucking depressed for days, Emma. You barely spoke to me and you barely even spoke to her. You did the same thing when she told you that she'd gotten engaged and don't even try to deny it, Em, because you know that I'm right."

Emma crossed her arms over her chest as her stomach twisted into a tight knot. She hated arguing, especially with Ruby, and while they did have their petty little arguments from time to time, they'd find a way to resolve things before it escalated.

"What do you want me to do, Ruby?" Emma asked her quietly. "Do you want me to stop talking to her? I don't even talk to her every day anymore."

"I don't know," Ruby frowned. "I just—I need you to stop putting her before me."

"Okay."

"I don't want you to stop talking to her at all, I know she's your friend and a part of the reason you were motivated to turn you life around years ago. I just want to feel like I mean something to you, okay?"

Emma nodded and she wrapped her arms around herself a little tighter until Ruby closed the distance between her and pulled her into a warm, tight embrace. "You do," Emma whispered as she sunk into Ruby's embrace. "You do mean something to me, Ruby. You mean a lot to me. I love you, you know that, right?"

"I know," Ruby whispered. "I love you too, Em."

"We're okay?" Emma asked and she felt Ruby nod. She leaned back to look into her eyes. "Are we?"

"Yes," she smiled. "We're okay. Hey," Ruby said as she leaned her forehead against Emma's and smiled again. "Come to my place tonight."

"I don't know if—"

"Bring Henry too. I do have the couch in the living room that folds out into a bed that he can sleep on tonight."

"I don't know," Emma replied quietly. "He's never stayed over at your place. He's never been anywhere but home before."

"You don't want to," Ruby clarified and she dropped her arms from around her.

"Ruby, of course I want to," she sighed. "Your apartment is like, I don't know, our sanctuary. It's where we can be alone. Where we can enjoy it being just the two of us, and where we can be as loud as we want to until your neighbors complain."

Ruby smirked and playfully rolled her eyes, but that expression disappeared rather quickly. "Just bring him too, Em. It'll be fine."

"It's almost his bed time," Emma countered. "Let me just talk to my mom. I'm sure she won't mind watching him tonight."

Ruby sighed dejectedly, but nodded her head anyway. She leaned in to kiss Emma lightly on the lips and backed away. "I'll go wait in the car. I have a phone call to make anyway."

"Okay, just give me a few minutes. I'll be right out."

It didn't take much to convince her mother to watch Henry for the night and after she said good night to her tired son and left him in the care of her parents, she grabbed her overnight bag and headed down to Ruby's car, sneaking up on her as she chatted animatedly on the phone.

"I told you, not tonight," Ruby said as Emma approached the passenger door from behind the car in a crouch. "I know what I said, but she's coming over tonight. I can see you tomorrow, okay? No, don't get upset, we'll see each other tomorrow."

Emma frowned and she reached for the door handle. Ruby ended the call as soon as she opened the door, snapping her phone shut with a forced smile curled over her lips. Emma tossed her bag into the backseat and got into the car.

"Who was that?"

"Oh," Ruby said and she tossed her phone into the empty cup holder. "A coworker."

"Oh."

"I promised her I'd help her go over the test we have on the new defibrillators that are being installed in the trucks before next week," Ruby explained and Emma just nodded, not wanting to speak her mind.

Because the way that she had just heard Ruby talking to her co-worker sounded a whole lot different than just cancelling plans related to work. They had already argued once and Emma really didn't want to get into another one and then spend the night with her, angry and emotional.

Instead she forced a smile at her girlfriend and clipped the seatbelt on in the second before Ruby pulled away from the curb and started the long, half-hour drive to her apartment on the other side of the city. It wasn't until she was inside Ruby's apartment that she realized she had left her cell phone at home, but she was very quickly distracted as Ruby whisked her off into the bedroom.

[X]

Regina sat in her living room, her body numb, her mind in a daze, and the tears she thought had dried up just kept on coming. When she had received the news that Daniel had fallen in the building before it had collapsed, her whole world felt like it had been shattered to pieces. It was a few hours after that and she had been taken to the local hospital in shock, that the fire chief delivered the news that Daniel's body had been recovered amongst the smoldering rubble.

She had barely heard him when he told her what had happened, that Daniel had been trying to save a lady and her seven cats, but the floor had given out and he had denied orders to retreat, wanting to save the old woman no matter what. He had gotten to her and had been returning to get her cats when the floor gave out and he fell through. Another firefighter had fallen trying to save him, a man named John Babcock who was only ten days shy of retirement.

Regina had called her mother after that, sobbing uncontrollably until her mother demanded to speak to someone coherent. Cora's harsh tone had dissolved by the time the fire chief had finished calmly explaining to her what had happened and handed the phone back to Regina. She promised her she would drive down first thing in the morning and that she would let Kathryn and Frederick know in case they wanted to take the trip down to New Haven with her.

There they were, two days later, on the eve of Daniel's funeral. Cora was in the kitchen making tea while Kathryn sat beside Regina on the couch and held her. Fred sat on the other side of his wife, he himself a bit of a wreck as he had known Daniel all of his life.

"You're nearly out of milk, dear," Cora said quietly as she carried a small tray with four teacups and some butter cookies on a place into the living room. "I—I can run out after tea and get you some."

"It's all right, Mother. I can do that."

"Regina," Kathryn said gently. "How about Fred and I go with your mother, get you some things that you need?"

"I don't know what I need."

Kathryn frowned as Cora placed the tray on the coffee table and she reached for a cup of tea and held it towards Regina. "Drink," she said softly. "It's that herbal tea you love. Remember Cora used to make it for us all the time when she wanted us to sleep?"

Cora chuckled quietly. "Some secrets never stay secret, do they, Kathryn?"

"Not all, but some do," she replied with a shake of her head.

Regina faded out as Kathryn and Cora talked quietly. Her mind was wandering, filled with old memories, happy memories, and if she closed her eyes, she could almost feel like Daniel was there in the room with them, talking to Fred about sports, cars, and their jobs while having a beer or two. But her mind would wander right back to reality, to thinking of the funeral that would take place at one in the afternoon the next day where her husband would be laid to rest with full military honors.

She had hardly been able to sleep, hardly been able to eat. If it hadn't been for Kathryn, she wouldn't have showered that morning at all or even changed out of the same clothes she'd had on since the night that Daniel died.

Her whole life had changed in a night. She was a widow at twenty-two years old and fate, it seemed, was not on her side. She couldn't see a light through the darkness just yet, but as she glanced around the living room, tuning everything else out, her eyes landed on one of Emma's photographs she had professionally blown up on a canvas and framed over the fireplace.

It was one of the ones taken on a cloudy, dreary day, but the picture itself was anything but dreary. Off in the distance, just beyond the sailboats out on the water, a lone sunbeam broke free from the clouds and shone down on the water. When she had blown the photograph up, the small company in town had asked her for a name and even in her darkest of moments, she still smiled at the response that had come almost immediately and without much thought.

Chasing sunbeams.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part IV**

September came all too quickly, but the changes in Emma's life had happened almost instantly. Her photographs that donned the cover of August Booth's first published novel had her receiving calls from agencies, wanting to sign her and sell her other photographs for a good price, each one offering more than the last. It had taken her two weeks to decide on an agency to represent her and strangely enough it was one of the ones who had denied her in the past.

The checks started to come in for her photographs, along with a small percentage of the royalties from August's book as it began to sell more and more. She started to take more pictures, hiring a babysitter to watch Henry while her parents were at work, and the more pictures that she took, the more she sold and the more the money came in.

She found herself busy all the time, but she made time for Ruby, and she always made sure she spent plenty of time with her son whenever she could. They would go down to the beach every weekend together, just the three of them, and even though Emma was saving to get a place of her own that she and Henry could call home, she spoiled her son in ways she had only dreamt of being able to since before he was born. She hadn't even realized that nearly two months had passed since she last spoke with Regina and her last email had been sent around the time that August's book deal had been finalized.

Emma sat at the kitchen table with her new laptop, reminding Henry not to touch the wires that were connected to the modem on the counter nearby. She checked through her email, wading through the hundreds of different ones from her agent and several companies asking for the rights to certain photographs and other work related emails. None of them were from Regina, not since the beginning of the summer when she had responded to one of her emails she'd sent with a dozen pictures of Henry attached.

"Huh," Emma frowned and she checked again, glancing over at Henry who was sitting on the floor by her playing with his toy cars.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Mary Margaret asked as she waddled into the kitchen. At seven months pregnant, she was bigger than Emma had been when she was in her ninth month with Henry. "Is everything all right?"

"I don't know," Emma shrugged. "You know, I've been so busy for the past few months that I only just realized I haven't talked to Regina in all that time."

"Oh, you haven't? That's unusual," she replied. "You two always keep in touch no matter how busy your lives get."

"Guess that's changed," Emma frowned and she closed the lid to her laptop. "I'm sure she just got busy like I did. I should call her, shouldn't I?"

"Yeah," her mother said with a small smile. "You should. Do you mind if I take Henry down to the park? I need to stretch my legs and it is a beautiful day."

"What do you think, kiddo?" Emma asked and Henry stopped making car noises and looked up at her. "Do you want to go to the park with Grandma?"

"Yeah!"

"Call her, we'll be back in an hour, maybe two if Henry's friends are there today."

"Okay, Mom. Have fun," she smiled at them both, waiting until they had left the kitchen before she opened her cell phone and dialed Regina's number.

"We're sorry, the number you have dialed is no longer in service," the automatic voice said when the line clicked and a tone sounded immediately. The message repeated before another tone sounded before the call ended.

"What the fuck?" Emma muttered as she pulled her phone from her ear and checked that she hadn't misdialed Regina's number. She hadn't and she pulled up the cell phone number she'd only called once and tried that, but the same message sounded and she growled in frustration.

 _Regina,_

 _Did you change your number or move? I just tried to call you. It's been a while since we talked last. I have a lot to tell you, but I wanted to talk to you about it instead of writing to you._

 _Call me._

 _Emma_

She waited. And waited. After an hour and a half, no phone call came and neither did an email response from Regina. She was debating whether to call her mother's house in Maine—if she could find the number since it'd been a few years since she'd called her there last. Her mother found her sitting virtually in the same spot when she and Henry got back from the park.

"He's been fussy," she said tiredly. "Gammy and Henry need a nap."

"Okay," Emma said distantly. "Do you want me to get dinner going if you're still sleeping in an hour?"

"That would be wonderful, sweetie," Mary Margaret smiled. "The roast is thawing in the fridge. The potatoes—"

"Need to be peeled and diced and seasoned," Emma finished. "I know. I got this, Mom. You go lay down and I'll get Henry in his crib."

"I can take him."

"No," she said with a shake of her head and she picked him up, the exhausted toddler already falling asleep in her arms. "Go lay down, Mom. You remember what the doctor said last week about overdoing it."

"Yes, _Mom_ ," Mary Margaret said teasingly as they headed out of the kitchen and upstairs. Emma held Henry on her hip with one arm and braced a hand on her mother's back as they slowly climbed the stairs. "Your father should be home just after six," she said as they reached the top of the stairs. "If I'm still sleeping at five-thirty, can you come and wake me?"

"Sure," Emma nodded and her mother sighed tiredly, laying a kiss on the side of Henry's head before heading into the master bedroom. "Tired, kiddo?"

"Yes, Mama."

"Did you have fun at the park?" She asked as she walked into their room and Henry nodded tiredly. "Did you see your friends?" Another nod. "I bet you had tons of fun, didn't you? Probably too much fun because you are so sleepy now."

Emma chuckled when he just leaned back in her arms and frowned. He rubbed at his eyes sleepily and she put him in his crib. She watched as he curled up, grabbed his teddy bear and the blanket and stuck his thumb into his mouth. Emma watched him as he fell asleep quickly, frowning at how big he looked in his crib and she knew it was long past time for him to move up to a big boy bed.

She'd been saving most of her earnings where she could and within reason. She had almost thirteen thousand dollars in her savings account, a cushion of sorts for when she found herself and Henry a home to call their own. She wanted to buy a place one day instead of paying rent and she wanted a place to call home forever, not just a yearly lease. It was a dream she knew could become a reality if her luck held out, but her agent had warned her that while she was hot in the market, things could change very quickly and unexpectedly.

Emma headed back downstairs and checked her laptop, sighing heavily when the only emails that had come in in the time she she'd left was from her agent. She tried not to let it get to her, knowing that Regina could very well be busy preparing for her upcoming semester and she knew that Regina took her studies very, very seriously even if becoming a doctor wasn't her first choice.

She paced along the kitchen floor a few times before picking up her phone and called Ruby. They'd hit a bit of a rough patch ever since their fight the day that Emma had found out her cover had been chosen for August's first book, and things weren't quite the same between them.

"Hello?" A woman, not her girlfriend, answered the phone. "Hello?"

Emma knew that she didn't misdial the number because Ruby's number was programmed into her cell phone. She was shaking a little bit as she began to grow angry, but before she could speak, the woman on the other end of the line spoke again.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"I'd ask you the same thing," Emma replied tightly. "Who is this?"

"Belle, what are you doing with my phone?" Emma could hear Ruby in the background. "Babe, who is on the phone?"

"I don't know," the woman replied. "Who is this?" She asked again. "Hello?"

Emma snapped her phone shut and she could feel the anger bubbling in her veins. Without even thinking about it, she grabbed her keys and marched out of the house and to where her Bug was parked on the street. She got into her car and gripped on to the steering wheel tightly, concentrating on her breathing for a moment.

From what Emma knew of Belle, never having met the woman, she was just one of Ruby's co-workers. Ruby said they were only friends, but she always had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach during those rare moments when Ruby mentioned Belle to her. She had known Ruby for a few years, mostly as her friend, and she knew when Ruby wasn't exactly telling the whole truth just from the way she would nervously smile and avoid meeting her eyes.

The drive to Ruby's apartment gave Emma too much time to over-think the situation. She knew she needed to keep her cool, to find out what the hell was actually going on instead of thinking of the very worst. Belle French was a friend, that is what Ruby had told her, a friend and a co-worker who would come over after a long shift for a glass of wine to unwind with Ruby before calling it a night.

She parked in the visitor lot and headed to the front door to the building. She didn't have a key, she and Ruby weren't quite there yet in their relationship, so she debated whether to buzz Ruby's apartment or wait for someone to exit. She didn't have to wait very long before Ruby's neighbor came out with his little Chihuahua dog that yipped and nipped at Emma's ankles.

"Hello Emma."

"Hello Mr. Andrews," Emma smiled at the elderly man. "How are you?"

"Wonderful," he replied with an easy smile. "Coming around to visit Ruby, are you?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded. "I was hoping to surprise her."

He just nodded and smiled, holding open the door for Emma to enter the lobby of the building before he walked off with his yappy little dog. She bypassed the elevator since half the time it was out of order and malfunctioned on the regular, and she headed straight for the stairwell. She took the stairs two at a time until she reached the third floor. She paused to catch her breath just as her phone began to ring. She flipped her phone open with an annoyed grunt.

"Hello?"

"Em, hey," Ruby drawled out lazily. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing," Emma replied quietly. "You?"

"I know that we had plans tonight," Ruby said and Emma held her breath as she knew exactly what was coming next. "I—I have to work tonight. I got called in last minute to cover for—"

"Okay," Emma cut her off. "That's cool. Are you headed out now or can you talk for a bit?"

"I'm actually already at work," Ruby replied and Emma already knew that was a downright lie because she'd seen Ruby's car in the parking lot. "I don't have much time to talk."

"Okay," Emma replied, opening the stairwell door as quietly as she could manage. "Is it a double-shift?"

"I think so. I haven't talked to Johnny yet."

"Okay," Emma said as she walked down the carpeted hallway towards Ruby's apartment. "Will I get to see you tomorrow? You know, if you're not too tired and everything?"

"We'll see," Ruby replied. "I'm on call all weekend and straight through until Wednesday. I will call you though when I am off. I'm sorry, Em. You know how work gets sometimes."

"Right," Emma said tightly and she stopped in front of her apartment door. "I'll let you go then, to get ready to go," she said and she paused as she lifted a hand.

"I have a few minutes," Ruby replied quickly. "How is your mom doing?"

"Fine," Emma said and she held her phone against her chest and knocked on the door three times before lifting the phone back to her ear. "Ruby?"

"Hold on a sec," she said quickly and Emma heard some muffled sounds over the phone and then the sound of the door chain being removed and the lock sliding open. Emma snapped her phone shut as Ruby opened the door. "Emma, what are you doing here?"

"You're not at work," she said lowly. "Of course you lied to me. That's all you've been doing lately, isn't it?"

Ruby went red in the face and Emma let her eyes sweep over her body. She was barely dressed, save for a pair of boy shorts and a thin tank top. "Em—"

"She's here, isn't she?" Emma asked and before Ruby could protest, Emma held up a hand and shook her head. "Save it, Ruby. Please. Don't lie to me anymore. I'm fucking tired of you lying to me all the damn time and yes, I know this isn't the first time."

"Em, now really isn't the best time to talk because you're clearly angry and—"

"Now is a great time to talk," Emma said and she tried to enter the apartment, but Ruby braced her arms against the doorframe, preventing her from walking in. "She is here, isn't she, Ruby?"

"Yes."

Emma scoffed. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

"I was trying to find a way to tell you without hurting you."

"Without—are you kidding me?" Emma groaned quietly. "Fuck you, Ruby Lucas."

"Em—"

"Don't," Emma said as she started to walk away and Ruby followed her out into the hallway. "If you say anything right now, I want you to just explain to me why you have been lying to me."

"I didn't want to hurt you."

"Too late for that."

"Em, I swear to you, I never meant for this to happen. It just—"

"It just happened, right," Emma scoffed. "And you lied to me. You—you cheated on me, Ruby. God, I hope she is fucking worth it."

"Emma—"

"I can't believe you," she continued. "You got jealous and upset that I called Regina first about August's book deal and how my cover was being used, and you told me to stop talking to her and you want to know the crazy thing? I haven't talked to her at all since then, Ruby. Not once."

Ruby frowned as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm sorry, Em."

"How long?"

"I—"

"How long have you been seeing her?"

Ruby shook her head as a few tears fell from her eyes and it only angered Emma further. "Since before we started seeing each other," she replied quietly and Emma stormed off, not wanting to hear another word. "Emma, wait!"

"Leave me alone," Emma snapped and she yanked open the stairwell door and began to run down them. Tears burned in her eyes and her heart hurt. She ran out of the building and across the small visitor lot to her car and she didn't let the tears fall until she slammed the door shut.

She hit the steering wheel once, twice, and then a third time before her palms stung with the force of the hit and she clenched both hands into tight fists against the pain. Her mind went into overdrive then, thinking about all the times that Ruby had cancelled on different plans that they had together, always coming up with one excuse or another. She thought about all the phone calls Ruby took, taking them in a closed room or bathroom so Emma wouldn't overhear the conversation. She thought about the few times she had overheard the conversation and how she knew all along that something wasn't quite right.

"Stupid," Emma muttered, hitting the steering wheel once more before sliding her keys into the ignition. "So fucking stupid!"

She opened her phone and dialed Regina's number without even thinking, but when that annoying automatic voice told her the number was out of service, she yelled as she tossed her phone onto the passenger seat, gripped the steering wheel and shook it, the whole car swaying against the force. Her anger increased tenfold when she spotted Ruby running out of the building, dressed in a pair of shorts and running shoes and headed straight for her.

"Emma, wait!" Ruby yelled out just before Emma pulled out of the spot quickly and headed for the entrance, driving past Ruby without slowing down. "Emma!"

Emma blinked through the burning tears and she came to a stop at the side of the road a few blocks away. Her phone was ringing but she didn't bother to answer it and she took a few minutes to calm down, to cry a few tears, before she headed back home. Her phone continued to ring, but she ignored it once again, knowing without a doubt that Ruby was calling her.

She came to a stop in front of the house and headed inside, careful not to slam the front door behind her as to not wake her mother or Henry. Her phone continued to ring and she growled in frustration as she ripped the back cover off and popped the battery out, effectively silencing the phone. She tossed it on the kitchen table beside her laptop and she was about to check her email again in hopes that Regina had responded when she heard the faintest cry coming from upstairs.

And it wasn't from Henry.

Emma ran up the stairs and into her parents' bedroom, stopping just inside the doorway as she looked at her mother on the bed in shock. The white sheets were wet and her mother's pants were a little red between the legs. Emma rushed forward for her and Mary Margaret cried out in pain.

"Mom, what's happening?"

"My water broke," she gasped as she grabbed at Emma's hands. "It's too early. It's too early. Something is wrong with the baby, Emma."

"Did you call an ambulance?"

"No!" She cried out. "I called for you and when you didn't answer I call your cell phone and you still didn't—"

"Shit," Emma groaned and she grabbed the cordless phone off the edge of the bed, dialing 911. "I'm sorry, Mom."

"Where did you go?"

"It doesn't matter," she said just as the operator picked up. "I'm here now."

"911, what is your emergency?"

"I need an ambulance," Emma said quickly. "My mother is in labor but the baby isn't due for another nine weeks. There is blood…"

[X]

Regina sat on the old tire swing at the family farm, the one that her father put up in the old oak tree behind the barn when she was only seven years old. The rope was frayed and worn and it creaked every time she swung just a little. It was something that was calming to her and in the midst of the storm in her life, returning home to Storybrooke after her husband's death was exactly what she had needed.

It had only been a week after the funeral that she packed up the house, called the landlord to cancel her lease, and made the move back home, choosing to stay at the farm instead of the house on Mifflin Street with her mother. Kathryn came by whenever she could to make sure she was taking care of herself and wasn't too lonely, as did her mother at least twice a week to bring her a casserole or two to make sure she was still eating.

She had taken a leave from school despite classes not having started yet. She wasn't sure when she could return to New Haven or if she ever would. She had a month to decide, as the administrations office had told her when she signed off the forms. She had a month before she fell too far behind in each of the classes to get caught up. A month before her scholarship was stripped from her and her status at the university was discontinued.

She exhaled sharply before getting off of the old tire swing when she heard a car approaching on the gravel driveway. It had been a few days since anyone had come by so she was expecting a visit from Kathryn. As she rounded the side of the barn, she caught sight of Kathryn's brand new Mercedes as it came to a stop next to her own car. She ran her fingers through her hair and smoothed out the plain white cotton button down shirt she'd barely managed to pull on that morning in an attempt to look somewhat presentable.

"Hello Regina," Kathryn smiled as she waved out the car window. Regina managed a small wave before Kathryn got out of the car and popped the trunk. "How are you doing today?"

"All right," Regina shrugged and she went to help Kathryn with the three bags of groceries she'd brought along. "You didn't have to stop by again. I would've gone into town today to—"

"It's nothing," Kathryn replied and she slammed the trunk shut. "I had to stop anyway to pick up a roast for dinner tonight. Fred had a craving."

Regina chuckled quietly and led the way into the back door and into the kitchen. Kathryn busied herself in putting the groceries away, chattering on about not wanting to go back to school just yet. She went to school in Boston, studying to be a lawyer at Harvard while Fred stayed in Storybrooke and took on a job as an assistant gym teacher at the elementary school.

"Have you thought about going back?"

"I don't know," Regina replied quietly. "I'm not sure if I can."

"You can," Kathryn said and she moved to wrap her arms around her in a tight hug, not letting go even when Regina felt uncomfortable with the display of affection from her best friend. "You still have time to get into one of the dorms. It's much smaller, but you'd be on campus at least."

"That doesn't matter to me. It's just being in that town, I don't know if I can go back, Kathryn. I think about going back and I—I can't. Not yet."

"Okay."

"Do you have the afternoon off?"

"I do."

"Do you want to have some cider with me?"

"Regina, it's barely past noon!" Kathryn gasped but from the wicked glint in her eyes, she was teasing. "Does your mother know that you've raided your father's stash of cider?"

"What are a few bottles, hmm?" Regina replied and she led the way to the front sitting room and opened the liquor cabinet. "Besides, she's the one who gave me the key to the cellar two weeks ago."

"Maybe," Kathryn said as she placed a hand over Regina's until she let go of the decanter. "Maybe we should hold off on having a drink or two. It is still very early."

"One minute you're all for it, the next you aren't?" Regina scoffed and shrugged her hand off of her. "Make up your mind, Kathryn."

"I'm just worried about you," she said quietly and allowed Regina to pour herself a glass. "I don't want you turning to alcohol when you're still grieving."

Regina ignored her, carrying her glass over to the sofa and she sat down. She moved the throw blanket she'd used the night before when she'd fallen asleep down there after finishing off half a bottle of cider to herself, but Kathryn didn't need to hear any of those details.

Her father's cider packed quite the punch, but it burned in a soothing way with every sip. It allowed her to let her thoughts become quieter than the constant dull roar in her head and it allowed her to finally sleep when it did nothing but evade her. She had been careful until the night before, not to drink too much or to love the feeling that it gave her, the escape. A wave of guilt washed over her and she glanced down at her glass in her hand momentarily before placing it down on the coffee table in front of her.

"Come over for dinner tonight," Kathryn said as she took a seat beside Regina. "Fred would love to see you again and I kind of need some help with that roast. The last time I tried to make it, I don't know what happened, but the bottom of it was burnt and the potatoes were far from being done. Don't even get me started on the carrots."

"Maybe," Regina said unevenly. "I could give you the recipe card. It has very specific and basic instructions to follow to ensure that your roast comes out perfectly."

"Come over," Kathryn pressed. "Please, Regina? You need to get out of the house."

"I get out of the house. I tend to the horses every day. I go riding. I spend time outside and—"

"You know what I mean."

Regina sighed. "When I am ready, Kathryn."

Kathryn frowned, but she didn't press any further, knowing she was already on shaky ground with Regina as it was. "How are the horses?" She asked, changing the subject with ease. "It's a beautiful day and if you haven't been out yet, perhaps we should go for a ride?"

"No," Regina said flatly. "I'm not in the mood to go for a ride. The horses are fine. They're being looked after. Mother sends Sean around every other day to check on them. The only reason I know he's even here is because of the dirt bike he's been riding out here on for weeks. It's quite…loud."

"Sean? You know his girlfriend is pregnant, right? Ashley?"

"Is that right? Aren't they still in high school?"

"They are, yeah, and his father has been trying to buy Ashley off into putting the baby up for adoption."

"Terrible."

"Indeed," Kathryn agreed. "Sean has been taking up any odd job he can get, coming here to tend to the horses, night shift at the cannery, and he's been washing dishes at Granny's too on the weekends."

"Hmm," Regina replied, uninterested in the boy who tended to the horses and his personal life. She shifted on the sofa, her fingers twitching slightly before she reached for the glass of cider and took a small sip. "You are leaving to go back to school in no less than a week, aren't you?"

"I am, yes," Kathryn nodded. "Fred is throwing a party," she chuckled quietly. "Will you come? Send me off with everyone else?"

"Who is everyone else?"

"Old friends of ours, family. Your mother is even coming, which surprised me too when I got her RSVP yesterday."

"I'll think about it, Kat."

"And I think I'll take a glass of that cider," Kathryn said quietly, rising from the couch and moving over to the liquor cabinet where she poured herself an almost full glass. "Does it still pack quite the punch, Regina? Do you remember when we were twelve and thought it was just regular old apple cider? We were sick with the worst hangover for days."

A small smile twitched on her lips and she took another sip. Kathryn had been doing that whenever she came to visit, changing from one subject to another. She had only started doing that because in the first few weeks that Regina had been there, they either sat in uncomfortable silence or Regina was yelling at her to get the hell out. She admired her best friend and her determination to make sure she didn't lose herself to her grief, and she wasn't sure what she would've done without her.

The mention of a memory from their childhood sparked a conversation that Regina was grateful for almost an hour later. They spoke of memories they had, memories that involved just the two of them, no boyfriends, no Daniel. It did a far better job than drinking too much cider did to the dull roar of thoughts in her mind. She even found herself laughing, something that hadn't been done since the night that Daniel had died tragically.

The afternoon wore on and their conversation eventually had shifted. They talked about school, about the possibility of Regina transferring from Yale to Harvard, to how they could find a house to rent together to finish the last two years of school. Deep down, Regina still had her heart set on Florida and when that admission accidentally slipped past her lips, she regretted it instantly.

"Speaking of Florida," Kathryn drawled, a little more than just tipsy from the second glass of cider she had poured for herself. "Have you spoken with Emma at all?"

"No."

"Nothing? Not even a letter?"

"Nothing."

"So she doesn't know—"

"No, no she doesn't know."

Kathryn frowned. "I know it's hard, Regina, but Emma is your friend. She should know what you're going through right now."

"What difference would that make?" Regina snapped.

"You could have someone else to talk to, someone else that—"

"I haven't heard from her either."

"You moved. You changed your number and got rid of your cell phone. What if she's tried to call you or send you a letter?"

"The post office in New Haven has my forwarding address."

"Have you even checked your email lately?" Kathryn asked and Regina sighed, shaking her head no. "Why not?"

"You know that I don't have anything more here than a landline, Kathryn."

Kathryn held up a hand, reached for her purse, and pulled out her Blackberry. After she clicked a few buttons, she handed it over to Regina. "Check it right now."

"Kathryn…"

"She could've emailed you countless of times and you haven't even bothered to check!"

Regina sighed and after some help from Kathryn, she managed to log in to her email, not surprised at the hundreds of unread messages in her inbox. The most recent one was from Emma, but she scrolled through the rest, frowning when she saw that there weren't any others from her.

She opened the only one and read it quickly with Kathryn hovering over her shoulder. Kathryn poked her once, twice, and then a third time before Regina groaned in annoyance and snapped her head to look over at her.

"What?"

"Aren't you going to call her?"

"Kathryn—"

"What is her number?" Kathryn said as she grabbed her Blackberry out of Regina's hand. "Come on, Regina, what is her number?"

Regina grabbed the phone back from her and rolled her eyes. "If I call her right now, will you stop?"

"Stop what?"

"Stop doing what you always do, Kathryn. Push me."

Kathryn chuckled and draped an arm over her shoulders. "If I wasn't here to push you in these ways, who would?" She asked. "Look, I know that Emma means something to you, whatever that something may be. I know you miss her even with everything that has happened. Aside from me and from…Daniel, she is the only one who has been in your life longer than a year."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Let's not talk about that now," Kathryn said and she gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Call her, Regina."

Regina reached for her glass of cider, downing what was left in her glass before she dialed Emma's number from memory. The line rang and rang and rang before the answering machine picked up and the ever-familiar message sounded off. She frowned and hung up before the message ended and handed Kathryn her phone.

"Nobody answered."

"Okay," Kathryn said with a slight nod. "We'll try again later."

Regina sighed and grabbed her empty glass, frowning slightly before Kathryn stood up first, grabbed her glass and offered wordlessly to refill it. Regina didn't touch that third glass of cider as Kathryn went off on a rant about one thing and another. Her thoughts had shifted—for once—from her deceased husband to the friend she had made in Emma and to wondering just why it was that they had fallen out of touch in the past few months.

She knew her side of the answer, but she was suddenly so very intrigued to hear Emma's side as well.

She just didn't know it'd be only a day later before she would talk to Emma and learn all of the things she'd missed out on in the time since their last contact, and all of the things that had changed in Emma's life that would set the course for their future, together and apart.

[X]

The hospital cafeteria was quiet, most of the lights were off and only a few night shift doctors on their breaks were sitting by the windows, drinking coffee and chatting quietly. Emma stirred some cream into her third coffee in the last seven hours and tossed the stir stick into the garbage.

She had been at the hospital for close to eighteen hours and her mother was resting, her baby brother, born nine weeks premature, was in the NICU, barely holding on for his life. Her father was with her mother in her semi-private room and Henry was at home with August who had offered to watch him when he'd come out the moment the ambulance had arrived at the house.

Emma sipped the bland tasting coffee and headed up to the floor the NICU was on, and like most of the hospital, things were eerily quiet. Only one nurse sat at the desk at the nurses' station and she was checking over the stats of the dozen babies that were currently in the unit on the computer.

"Hey," Emma said quietly as she tapped on the top of the desk to get the woman's attention. "I'm checking on my little brother."

"The Swan baby," the nurse nodded and she motioned for Emma to follow her once she'd gotten up from behind the desk. "He's been having some difficulties breathing," she said quietly as they walked down the hall. "We have him on respiratory support and he'll be fed with an IV line for a couple of days to see how he responds."

"Okay," Emma said under her breath and they turned the corner. "He's going to be okay, isn't he?"

The nurse stopped and placed a hand on Emma's shoulder. "He's premature, but he's receiving some of the best care in the state. After I let you see him, I am going to give you some information that you can pass along to your parents."

"Okay. Thank you."

Emma already knew that it'd be a few weeks, if anything, before her mother would be able to hold her baby in her arms for the first time. She just couldn't imagine what her mother was going through at the moment. They all knew the risks were higher with her mother being in her forties, but nothing could've prepared any of them for what had transpired.

"He's so small," Emma said as they stopped at the glass by the room her brother was in and she looked at his incubator where the tiny baby, barely three and a half pounds, lay hooked up to countless of machines.

"Stay right here," the nurse said quietly. "I'll go and check in on him. I'm afraid you cannot come in, but you can stay here and watch."

"Okay."

Emma stood at the window, sipping her coffee, watching as the nurse put on a sterile suit over her scrubs before she entered the unit. She barely turned when she heard the soft footfalls approaching her and she sighed when she felt the hand fall upon her shoulder.

"Hey kiddo," David said and she turned to look at her father. "Have you gotten any sleep?"

"No, Dad," she replied with a shake of her head. "How is mom doing?"

"She's a little restless. One of the nurses gave her a sedative so she can get a few hours of sleep."

"And you?"

"I'll be fine," he said and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "How is he?"

"The nurse is checking on him now," Emma replied and she leaned in to his embrace and frowned. "You think he's going to be okay?"

"All we can do is hope and pray," David whispered. "He's a Swan. He'll pull through."

"Did you and mom talk about a name yet?" She asked and she felt him shake his head no. "Okay."

"Hey, why don't you head home?" David said and Emma turned to look at him. "I know you're worried, but you have Henry to worry about too right now. I'll call you if there are any changes. Go home, get some sleep, and take care of Henry."

"Do you want me to bring anything when I come back?"

"Your mother's overnight bag. The one she had already prepared a few weeks ago in anticipation of your baby brother arriving," David replied. "It's in the closet, it's the red duffel bag. You can't miss it."

"And you?"

"I wouldn't mind a change of clothes and maybe some coffee that tastes like coffee, strong," he replied with a slight shrug. "Go on, Em, go home. I'll stay here and look out for him until your mother wakes up."

Emma hugged her father, both of them holding on to one another tightly for a moment before she let go, took one last look at her tiny baby brother, before she headed down to the elevators. She stopped by the payphones, having left her cell phone at home, and called for a cab since she'd been in the ambulance with her mother. She tossed the Styrofoam cup in the garbage on her way outside and she waited by the main entrance for the cab to show up.

Her exhaustion hit her once she was in the backseat of the cab and she gave the driver her address. She barely managed to keep her eyes open during the long drive and when the driver stopped in front of the house just behind her Bug she frowned. Her wallet was inside and after explaining to the driver she needed to run in to get some cash, he reluctantly agreed and she made a quick dash into the house, startling August who was asleep on the couch.

"Hey," he muttered groggily. "How is your mom doing?"

"I need to find my wallet," Emma said in a rush. "Cab is waiting outside."

"How much?"

"What?" Emma stopped rooting around on the side table by the front door where she was sure she'd left her wallet. "August—"

"How much is the fare?"

"Thirty-eight, probably more now since he didn't turn the meter off."

August stood up from the couch, pulled his worn leather wallet out of his back pocket and slipped out a fifty dollar bill. "Here, that'll cover it plus tip."

"I can't take that."

"Then let me go pay the driver, you go up and check on Henry. He woke up about an hour ago asking for you," August said and he walked out of the house before Emma could protest again.

She went upstairs to check on her son and thankfully he was fast asleep in his crib. She quickly changed out of her clothes and into a pair of checkered boxers and a loose fitting t-shirt before she headed downstairs just as August came back inside.

"Thanks," she said quietly and he nodded, rubbing at the sleep in his eyes. "I really appreciate you staying here to look after Henry."

"It's my pleasure," he smiled. "He's a good boy. I don't mind watching him. You know that," he chuckled and he shook his head. "How is your mom?"

"Restless, but she's okay."

"And the baby?"

"A boy," Emma replied. "Three and a half pounds give or take. He's in NICU. God, August, he's so tiny. They have him hooked up to all these different machines and I heard the nurse say it might be a few weeks before he's stable enough for my mom to hold him for the first time."

"He'll pull through," he said and he moved in for a hug, holding on to her tight. "Get some sleep, all right? If you need anything, anything at all, call me or come and get me, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you."

"Good night, Em."

"Night, August."

The toll of a very long, stressful day caught up to her the minute she was in her bed, but even as exhausted as she was, her mind was going a million miles a minute and sleep evaded her completely. She thought about what had happened with Ruby for the first time in hours and the anger, the hurt, it all returned in a flash, hindering her as she whimpered quietly into her pillow. The heartbreak was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before and she hated herself for being stupid enough not to realize that Ruby had been seeing someone else the whole time.

She started to think of all the times Ruby had cancelled plans at the very last minute and all the different excuses she had used to keep Emma from coming over to her apartment or why she had to cancel a date. Work always seemed to be her key excuse, but now Emma knew better, now she knew that it wasn't always work that kept her from seeing Ruby on a regular basis.

But what hurt the most wasn't the betrayal, it was knowing that they had gone from being friends to lovers, and that there was a very high chance that she had lost the only real friend she'd had in years. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that they'd been better off as friends than anything else. Even though she was heartbroken, she didn't want Ruby out of her life completely, and she knew it'd take some time before they moved past everything and tried to be friends again.

"Mama?"

"Hey," Emma said softly as she looked over at her son standing up in his crib. "What are you doing awake, Hen?"

"Mama," he pouted and stretched out his arms.

Emma got out of bed and picked him up, nuzzling him in close before she brought him over to her bed and let him crawl under the sheets. He smiled as she got in with him and curled up on her chest like he used to when he was a baby and couldn't always sleep throughout the night.

She stroked his back lightly, feeling him relax as he fell back asleep. She tried to clear her head of all the thoughts running through it, willing for sleep to come even if she only got a few hours before dawn. She focused on the steady breathing of her son and she closed her eyes, falling into a light sleep where every little noise and every little movement her son made woke her up.

Just after seven in the morning, the phone started to ring and Henry woke up fussy, grabbing at her shirt and her hair as she got up out of bed and carried him downstairs quickly to answer the phone. She didn't get to the phone in time and she shifted Henry on to her hip to check the call ID. She shook her head and called back, moving to put Henry down on the floor as the line began to ring.

"Hey," Ruby said as she answered on the third ring. "Em, I know you're pissed at me right now, but I just heard about your mom."

"Yeah."

"Is she all right?" Ruby asked and from the sounds in the background, Emma knew she was working. "Is the baby all right?"

"How did you find out?"

"Johnny told me when I got in about an hour ago," she replied. "Didn't have a chance to call you until now."

"Mom is all right I guess, but the baby is in NICU."

"Shit."

"Yeah."

"Would you mind if I stopped to see your mom later?" Ruby asked tentatively. "I mean, I understand if you don't want me to, but I—"

"It's fine," Emma said with a heavy sigh. "I'm sure she'd like to see you, but do me a favor all right? Don't tell her what happened yesterday."

"Em—"

"Please don't," she said tightly. "She's under enough stress as it is, don't need her finding out that my girlfriend was cheating on me or was I the one you were cheating on Belle with? I'm not too clear on that, Ruby."

"Can we talk about this later, Em?"

"I don't know, can we?"

Ruby sighed heavily into the phone and Emma could hear a man calling out for her in the background. "We need to talk about this, Em, no matter how pissed off you are at me. I want to explain—"

"Explain what? That you had a bitch on the side or that I was your side bitch?"

"Em, you know you were never—"

"Wasn't I?" Emma scoffed. "Whatever, Ruby. We'll talk when I'm ready to talk. I need to go. I have to change Henry's diaper and get him some breakfast before we head over to the hospital."

Emma didn't say another word before she hung up the phone. She scooped Henry up and carried him back upstairs. She changed him quickly, his mood changing once he had the wet diaper off and he was giggling as she tickled him, making him squirm on the change table uncontrollably. After she changed him into a pair of loose fitting shorts and a t-shirt with dinosaurs on the front, she picked him up and covered his chubby cheeks in a million little kisses.

The phone started to ring as soon as she was back down in the kitchen. She grabbed some juice and put it in a sippy-cup for Henry before she grabbed the cordless phone, answering it without checking to see who was calling.

"Hello?" She asked as she screwed the lid on and handed the cup to Henry who was waiting at her side and reaching upwards.

"Emma?"

"Regina?"

Emma nearly dropped the phone and her heart was racing hard in her chest just hearing Regina's voice for the firs time in months. She leaned up against the counter and took a few deep breaths as she smiled.

"Hey," Emma said softly when Regina didn't say a word. "How are you?"

"Not that great," Regina replied after a few lingering seconds. "You?"

"About the same."

"Emma, I—"

"I—"

"You go first," Regina said and Emma shook her head as she looked down at Henry. He was completely oblivious that she was talking to Regina and considering that he was still young, she wondered if he even remembered her since it'd been a few months since he last babbled to her on the phone.

"Don't know where to start, so why don't you go first?"

"I'm afraid I don't know where to start either," Regina sighed. "Is it too early to have called you? I called you last night, but I got the machine."

"It's fine. I was already up," Emma said and she cradled the phone against her ear with her shoulder while she got the coffee on. "I called you yesterday actually. Did you move or change your number?"

"I'm back in Storybrooke."

"Oh, isn't the semester starting in like what, two weeks? Did you go back for the summer or—"

"Daniel died almost two months ago."

"Oh."

Emma could hear the pain in her voice and as things grew quiet, save for the babble coming from Henry as he wandered through the kitchen drinking his juice, Emma could hear Regina softly crying. Her heart ached for Regina and it was moments like that when she wished they were not hundreds of miles apart because all she wanted to do was reach out to hug her friend. She sighed softly and waited for Regina to speak when she was ready while keeping an eye out on Henry.

The moment Henry tried to open the cabinet below the sink, she reached out for him, scolding him with a look first and when he didn't stop trying to open it, she shook her head. "Henry, no," she said firmly before reaching for a Tupperware container from the drying rack on the sink and a wooden spoon. "Here, take this."

She frowned when she didn't hear a word from Regina, but she knew she hadn't hung up because every once in a while she heard her trying to choke back each sob that still managed to escape despite her attempts not to. She wasn't even sure what to say, afraid of saying the wrong thing and making everything worse.

"There was a fire, a big one," Regina whispered. "I—I was there. I didn't mean to be there, but I was. It was bad, really bad," she sighed and inhaled slowly. "Daniel died trying to save this elderly woman that was trapped inside."

"I'm so sorry, Regina."

"He—he died a hero."

"He did."

"I returned to Storybrooke shortly after the funeral. I couldn't bear to stay there any longer. There were just too many memories. In the house, in town, everywhere I went, people I saw. I—I don't know if I am going back."

"I would've come," Emma said quietly. "If I had known, I would've come. I'm so sorry for your loss, Regina."

There were many questions that Emma wanted to ask her, but she knew now wasn't the time, not when Regina was still so clearly grieving the sudden tragic death of her husband. She hoisted herself up on the counter and glanced down at Henry as he happily tapped the wooded spoon on the upside down Tupperware container.

"I haven't called or wrote to you because—"

"I completely understand," Emma said when she heard how hard it was for Regina to get out her words. "Are you okay? I mean of course you aren't okay, but—"

"I'm getting better, not quite okay, but not where I was before either," Regina replied. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Of course."

"The last time you called, you sounded so excited about something. What was it, Emma?"

Emma told her everything from how August had used her photographs as inspiration for his novel, how he convinced her to compile them into a cover for him, how the publisher chose hers over the one that they had designed for him. She told her how everything just took off as soon as August's novel hit the shelves, from the many offers she'd gotten, to the agencies scrambling to sign her and represent her. Regina didn't say very much at all, but Emma could tell that she was happy for her growing success without having to hear her say those very words.

Emma told her of her plans to save up, to buy a place for her and Henry of their own some day soon, but then Emma had grown quiet when she realized that dream of hers was even further a reality that it had been before, especially since her mother had given birth too early.

Emma told her what had happened the day before, leaving out the part of catching Ruby cheating on her before she found her mother in labor in her bed. Regina had plenty of questions then, mostly about the baby and what the doctors were doing for him. They talked for an hour after that, well Emma mostly talked and Regina mostly listened.

Their conversation only came to an end when August came over to tell her that her father had called from the hospital. Her mother was now awake and asking for her. Before she had hung up, she had Regina promise her never to go that long without speaking to one another again. She hadn't even realized she ended the call by telling Regina that she loved her, not until August just gave her a pointed look.

"What?" Emma asked as she poured herself a coffee and one for August. "What is that look for?"

"Who were you talking to?"

"Regina."

"Your pen pal?"

Emma laughed. "She's not just my pen pal, August. She's a friend."

"A friend who you love?"

Emma blinked and he gave her that look again. "What?"

"Never mind, Em. Are you two just about ready to head out? I was hoping to catch a ride with you down to the hospital."

"What about your Harley?" Emma asked. "You ride that bike every chance you get."

"Have you even looked outside?" He asked and she shook her head no. "It's pouring rain out there and it isn't supposed to let up until tomorrow morning."

"Oh."

Emma was grateful that August didn't pressure her into talking about Regina after that. She left Henry under his watch and she pulled her hair up into a messy bun before changing her clothes. She made sure she brought along some coffee for her father in his favorite travel mug and with August carrying Henry, they made a quick dash down to Emma's car, trying and failing to evade the rain that was falling steadily from the angry black clouds overhead.

She dropped August and Henry off at the overhang, watching them enter the hospital together, Henry completely oblivious as to why they were going there in the first place. Emma found a parking spot somewhat close by and she ran across the lot, careful not to drop the travel mug as she dodged and leaped over deep puddles. August and Henry were waiting by the elevators and they headed up to the floor her mother was staying on.

"We're going to see Grandma, okay?" She said to Henry as she rubbed over his back. He nodded and squirmed in August's arms but didn't demand to be let down. "You know how she is going to have a baby, right?" Upon his slight nod, she continued, "She had the baby last night. He's very, very little, and very sick."

"Why?"

"He's early," she said quietly and she shook her head. "We're going to go see Grandma now, okay?"

"Okay."

Mary Margaret was sitting up in the bed when the three of them arrived in her room. Emma handed over the travel mug to her father and he let out a grateful sigh as he opened the lid and took a few sips. August handed Henry over to her and she walked over to the side of the bed, sitting Henry down on the edge before she leaned over to hug her mother.

"How are you feeling?" Emma asked, not quite pulling back from the hug.

"Not so great," she replied softly. "I'm worried about the baby."

"I know," Emma frowned and she moved to sit down on the chair next to the right side of the bed. "We are all worried about the baby, Mom."

"A nurse came in a little while ago," David said. "She explained that there had been no changes in the last few hours."

"That's good, isn't it?" Emma asked, her eyes darting back and forth between her parents. From what Regina had told her, no changes was a good thing, especially in the first twenty-four hours, but after that, changes of the good kind were needed and if they didn't come, the baby's health would rapidly decline.

"Your mom and I chose a name," David said quietly and Emma blinked in surprise.

"You did?" Emma asked and she looked over at her mother. "What is his name, Mom?"

"It's a long story," Mary Margaret sighed. "When you were still little, we dreamt of having another baby, a son. I—I always wanted to have a boy and name him Neal, but after—"

"Please tell me you didn't name him that," Emma muttered under her breath.

"No," Mary Margaret replied with a soft, short laugh. "We named him Nathan."

"Nathan, huh?" Emma asked, testing out the name on her lips before she turned to look down at her son. "I like it," she said after a moment. "Nathan Swan."

"Can I see him?" August asked and it was David who got up before Emma could.

"We'll be back shortly," David said and he didn't leave before he placed a soft, lingering kiss on Mary Margaret's lips. "You want to come too, Henry? Do you want to come meet your Uncle Nathan?"

Emma moved to sit on the edge of the bed as the boys left the room and when her mother opened up her arms, she moved to lay at her side as she did when she was just a young girl. She sighed as her mother stroked over the nape of her neck.

"What's wrong, sweetie?"

"Nothing," she replied. "I'm just worried about you and about Nathan."

"If there is something you need to talk about—"

"Not right now, okay, Mom?" She whispered. "I want to talk about you."

"What about me, sweetie?"

Emma shook her head and leaned over to kiss her mother on the cheek. "Are you hungry? I can go get you anything you want. Anything. Even if it's on the other side of town."

Mary Margaret laughed and shook her head. "I did have a bit of a craving for one of those meatball subs from Marty's Market," she said lowly. "Don't give me that look!"

"A meatball sub!" Emma laughed and shook her head. "Anything else?"

"No," she sighed. "Can we just sit here for a little while? You and me?"

"Of course we can."

[X]

Regina wasn't sure what it was that sparked her to call the administrations office at Yale the following Monday afternoon, but she had an inkling that perhaps it had a lot to do with her phone call with Emma coupled with hours of thinking of her future. She spoke with several people in the office, expressing her desire to continue in her studies but elsewhere. Of course, everyone in New Haven knew she had lost her husband tragically in one of the town's worst fires in recent history and the woman she spoke to was nothing short of sympathetic and understanding.

She knew of Kathryn's wishes to transfer to Harvard, but her heart wasn't in it. Yes, it was close to home with a familiar face there, but it wasn't where her heart had been set on since she was sixteen years old. The University of Florida was still her first choice and after dozens of phone calls and being put on hold during half of those, she was eventually connected to someone from UF.

Her grade point average was 3.9, almost perfect and even her grades in high school were considered as she spoke to the woman at the UF. It was almost too late for her to transfer for this semester, but the woman suggested she put in for a transfer for January. She'd lose a semester she'd have to make up for later on, whether over the summer during rigorous summer classes, or take an additional semester after her fourth year was completed.

Regina knew she'd lose her scholarship that she'd gotten to attend Yale, but it didn't matter. She could pay for everything herself and she would get a job if she had to just to support herself. After getting a direct mailing address to file her transfer, she thanked the woman and hung up the phone, her arm aching and her mind exhausted, but a tiny flutter of hope was what brought that smile to her face, a smile that had evaded her completely since her husband's death.

After she had a glass of wine on the front porch of the farmhouse, watching as Sean drove up on his dirt bike to tend to the horses, ten hours later than usual, she made another phone call, a smile dancing over her lips and her nerves beginning to surface.

"Hello?"

"Kathryn, it's me," Regina said softly. "I have something huge to tell you."

"How huge?" Kathryn asked. "Did you see about transferring to Harvard?"

"No," Regina said slowly. "I'm transferring to the University of Florida."

"What?" Kathryn laughed. "Are you serious? When is this happening?"

"January."


	5. Chapter 5

**Part V**

"New York, Emma?" Mary Margaret asked as she shook her head in disbelief. "You are moving to New York City in two weeks? When were you going to tell me this?"

"Now," Emma replied. "I'm telling you right now, Mom. I only just found out and I—"

"You're leaving," she said softly, tears prickling her eyes as she shifted three-month-old Nathan in her arms. "We only just came home a few weeks ago and now you're leaving."

"I got a job there, Mom, a good one. One that I can make enough money to help you and dad pay off those hospital bills."

"But New York City, Emma?"

Emma sighed and walked over to the fridge, pulling it open and taking out the Tupperware container that the leftovers were in from Christmas dinner two nights ago and she grabbed a plate, settling it down quietly on the counter as she felt a flood of anger flow through her suddenly. Sure, she knew that she could've taken that job closer to home, in Atlanta, but a part of her wanted a whole new change of pace for herself and her son, and her agent found a publishing company that was dying to hire her as their head photographer, shooting not just images that would be used in the future on novels and other books, but author photographs and the like.

There was more to the job, but her agent had promised she wouldn't be overloaded, that she'd be working a traditional 9 to 5 and the company had it's own daycare center right in the building so she wouldn't have to worry about additional care for her son. The apartment was included in her contract and she was informed that the Cameron Publishing House provided housing to all their employees.

She was taking a huge gamble, she knew that, but she had to do something, anything she could do to help her parents pay the nearly hundred thousand they owed in bills for her little brother's two and a half month stay in NICU. She had already used most of her savings to help and August helped out where he could as did her grandmother, Ruth, but her parents had refused any additional help, insisting they would find some way to pay the remaining bills on their own one way or another.

"What about New York?" Her father asked as he strolled into the kitchen with two empty beer bottles. He placed them into the case before grabbing two cold ones out of the refrigerator. "Why are we talking about New York?"

"Emma is moving there," Mary Margaret replied dryly. "She got a job there. She is leaving in two weeks."

"What?" David looked perturbed. "Emma? When were you going to tell us?"

"Now, I'm telling you guys now. I only just got the phone call last night to confirm my contract. I fly out on the third. We—we fly out, I mean," she said as she pointed down to Henry who was sitting on the floor, babbling quietly as he pushed his brand new red fire truck around on the kitchen floor. "I didn't tell you this was happening because I wasn't sure it'd actually happen, you know? I know I should've at least mentioned it, but with Nathan and everything else, it just—I don't know. I'm sorry."

"Well," David said as he moved to give her a one-armed hug, "I think that is great even if it is all so very last minute. Tell us more about this job, Em," he said and he quickly held up an arm. "Grab a beer and join us in the living room, will you? I'm sure August is going to want to hear all about this too."

"He already knows," Emma mumbled under her breath.

"What?" Her mother asked incredulously. "He already knows? Before you told us?"

"Mom—"

"August Booth!" Mary Margaret yelled and baby Nathan started crying. "Oh baby," she murmured as she held him against her chest and rubbed his back. "Look at what you did, Emma."

"What? You're the one who fucking yelled!"

"Emma! Language!"

"What's going on?" August asked as he strolled into the kitchen. "What's up?"

Emma could already feel a splitting headache starting to form and every time her temples throbbed, the pain increased tenfold. Her mother rocked the baby until his cries stopped and Henry, completely oblivious, started to fuss, wanting the attention all of a sudden. When everyone had calmed down, mostly, Emma explained everything to her parents and why she had decided to take the job in New York City.

Her mother was crying, tears of sadness and happiness, Emma wasn't sure, but her father was very proud of her even if that meant she and Henry would be living hundreds of miles away, at least for a year, two at most. Emma promised her parents that she would come back home as much as she could with Henry, and while she wasn't sure just how often that would be just yet, she knew it was one promise she intended to keep.

[X]

Regina packed the last of her clothes into the largest suitcase while her mother watched from the doorway. She was feeling nervous, a good nervous, and even though her mother despised that she was going to university in Florida, she hadn't fought her on the issue as she had when Regina had been accepted to Yale a few years before. In fact, her mother was nothing but supportive and it had taken Regina by surprise since she had changed her tune over Christmas dinner a handful of nights before.

She was driving down to Boston to catch her flight to Gainesville, Florida, in just seven hours. She was already pressed close for time as Maine had most recently been hit by a snowstorm on Christmas day. The roads, especially leading out of town, were still a mess and she'd be on the road a little longer than five hours at most if the roads were worse than she anticipated.

"Will you call when you get to the airport?" Cora asked as Regina closed the suitcase quickly. "Just so I know you've made it there safely?"

"Of course I will, Mother."

"I'll have someone pick up your car in a few days," she said and she reached for one of the smaller suitcases before the two of them headed down the stairs together. "I don't know why you just don't sell it, dear."

"It belonged to Daddy," Regina replied. "I don't want to sell it."

"Of course," Cora sighed. "Do you have everything that you need, dear?"

"Yes, yes I do," Regina nodded. She had a long list and everything she had packed, she had meticulously crossed it off of the list. "I gave you the number of the dorm I'm staying in, didn't I?"

Cora nodded. "You did. Have you spoken to your roommate yet?"

"No," she said with a small shake of her head before she grabbed her wool coat and slipped it on. "The last time I called, she didn't answer. I did speak with the resident advisor this morning and he informed me that Charlie is expecting me later today."

"Charlie?" Cora raised an eyebrow. "I thought your roommate was a woman?"

"The RA told me she likes to go by Charlie. Her name is Charlotte."

"I see."

They carried Regina's things out to the Mercedes and loaded the luggage into the trunk. Dark, grey clouds rolled in overhead and the wind had picked up, sending a chill through Regina's body and made her anxious to get down south to where the bitterly cold winter didn't even exist. She slammed the trunk closed and hugged her mother goodbye, not wanting to stay a moment longer with such a long drive ahead of her. Cora hugged her tightly, whispering to her to be safe and that she loved her—a sentiment her mother barely expressed.

The first half of the drive was nerve-wracking as she navigated the snowy, icy roads out of town. She couldn't let her mind at ease until she was on the interstate, going almost twenty over the speed limit in an attempt to make up for lost time. The radio was on to a pop station, music Regina loathed, but it kept her company alongside the thoughts that started to barrel through her mind.

She stopped for gas at the halfway point, the cold wind making her dance alongside her car as she watched the numbers climb on the pump. She grabbed a coffee to go after she paid for her gas and she was back on the road, the radio station flipped to an alternative rock station this time around.

When Regina had gotten the confirmation that her transfer had gone through and that she would be starting her classes at the beginning of January, she had kept that information from Emma because she wanted to rent a car and drive the three hours up to Tallahassee from Gainesville a few days after she arrived to surprise her. It wasn't like she was keeping it from her, she was, but for reasons only just to surprise Emma when she showed up at her front door on New Year's Eve.

She and Emma had talked almost every other day after the two months they went without speaking at all. Sometimes their conversation was quick, one or the other having somewhere to go or something to do. Regina loved those times that Emma let Henry on the phone and he was getting better at talking, but it was mostly adorable baby babble that filled some of Regina's broken, empty heart.

She was excited. She was nervous. She was starting another new chapter in her life and one that was far from home and far from the memories of her husband. She was overcome with emotion, thankfully not enough to have to pull over to the side of the road to compose herself.

The airport was busy and by the time she found the long-term parking garage, she had less than an hour and a half to get through security, find her gate, and make her flight on time. She carried the smaller suitcase and dragged the other behind her until a man who worked for the airport got her a cart, giving her a wink when he told her it'd make her trip through the airport much easier. Regina barely gave the man a second glance, barely said thank you before she was pushing the cart through the crowd of people towards the security checkpoint.

Regina felt like she was on autopilot as she made her way through the airport after going through security. She located her gate and after checking in her luggage, grateful that she had sent the rest of her belongings through the mail so she didn't have to lug any more along with her, she tucked her purse under her arm and found a row of payphones near the gate.

The phone call to her mother was kept short. She was in no mood to speak with her, not when her mother clearly sounded a little more than tipsy and ready to speak her mind, no holds barred, at least more than usual. A muttered announcement came over the speakers and she used it as an excuse to hang up the phone. She had a grand total of forty minutes before she had to board her flight and her stomach growled, reminding her it'd been far too many hours since she'd eaten last.

Not wanting to wander too far from her gate, Regina chose a small coffee shop and ordered a medium tea with a spoonful of honey with a cinnamon bun on the side. It wasn't much, but it would tie her over until she landed in Gainesville. She was hungry, but she was a very nervous flyer and having too much in her stomach during takeoff would make her queasy, possibly even sick.

Regina had a small book of Emma's photographs in her purse and she looked through many of them, knowing that when she had the time in between heavy class loads that she would make the trip to the ocean and see those very same scenes with her own eyes. She could chase the sunbeams; experience it all while feeling the warm breeze and the sun basking on her skin.

By the time she boarded the plane and took her seat next to an elderly woman, her nerves of flying had somewhat diminished with her thoughts focused on what lay ahead of her in the days, weeks, and years to come.

"First time flying, dear?" The old woman asked when Regina fumbled with the seatbelt and huffed when she couldn't get it clipped in. "Here, allow me."

"Thank you."

"Eunice," the woman smiled and once she had helped Regina get the seatbelt buckled securely, she patted Regina's hand lightly. "What is your name, dear?"

"Regina."

"What a wonderful name," Eunice said softly. "Very regal," she added and Regina just nodded with a polite smile. "Where are you headed, Regina?"

"Gainesville. I'm going to be taking classes at the university there," she replied. "You?"

"I'm going down to visit an old friend in Tallahassee, but I'm afraid this was the only flight I could get on such a short notice," Eunice said and a frown curled over her thin lips. "My dear friend is dying, you see," she said quietly and shook her head. "We're getting on in our years. I haven't seen her for a very long time, not since she and her idiotic husband Lou packed up and moved down there. How very cliché, don't you think? To spend your retired years in a place such as Florida? Why not go somewhere far more exciting?"

"Where would be far more exciting, Eunice?"

"Italy!" She chuckled heartily. "Perhaps even the islands in Greece where there are gorgeous men everywhere you look, and if you're lucky, one of them will be very interested in bedding the older ladies such as myself."

Regina couldn't help but laugh. "I am sure there are plenty down in Florida too."

"Goodness, I certainly would hope so!"

The chatty elderly woman made the flight go by quickly and Regina was sad to say goodbye to her when they exited the plane and went their separate ways. Regina picked up her luggage, made her way through the airport, and found the car rental counter. The pimply-faced teenager behind the counter looked bored out of his mind and as she repeated her name twice before he bothered typing it into his computer, she felt her eye twitch every time he chewed his gum loudly and popped it in his mouth.

The rental car she had reserved just days before had been accidentally given to another person and there were no extra vehicles available, not with New Year's Eve just around the corner. The pimply-faced teenager was unapologetic and Regina was fuming. How was she supposed to get to campus now? How was she supposed to drive out to Tallahassee to surprise Emma? She demanded to speak to the manager and the pimply-faced, arrogant teenager pointed to his nametag. Under the name Jarrod, was "Manager" and she slapped a hand on the counter before grabbing her luggage, storming off before she gave the boy a piece of her mind.

She walked out into the early evening, the heat while not too hot, it was an almost shock to her system. She ended up on a bench not too far from the entrance and on the verge of tears. She had no idea how she was going to get to campus and to her dorm room, she certainly wasn't walking that was for sure, and she felt so very emotionally tired, more so than she had in more recent weeks.

"Hey there, pretty lady," a man with a Cuban accent called out from his cab. "Need a lift somewhere?"

"Uh yes, I—I do," she stammered as she wiped at the tears on her cheek.

The man, which she guessed was in his early fifties, scrambled to get out of the cab and to help her with her luggage. He even opened the back door for her with a flourish and a smile. She found the paper with the dorm address on it in her purse and he gave her a curt nod before pulling away from the curb.

"First time here, huh?"

"That obvious?" Regina asked and the man just laughed.

"Let me guess, Boston born and bred? Never set foot in this fine state before now?"

"Small town in Maine," Regina replied. "And no, I've never been here before."

"I'm Carlos," he said as he turned to look back at her once he came to a stop at a light. She just nodded and smiled politely at the cab driver. "Can I take you on the scenic route? No extra charge. I'll take a flat rate of twenty-five dollars."

"No, no it's fine. I just want to get to the dorms. Perhaps another time," Regina replied quietly and the man just nodded and made a turn once the light turned green. She sighed as she leaned back in the seat and stared out the window, the dying sunlight casting an almost eerie, mystic glow around the buildings they passed by.

It was nearly twenty minutes before Carlos stopped the cab just outside the dorm that Regina would call home for the next two years. He offered to help her with her luggage and she swiftly declined his offer, paying him the fare with a ten-dollar tip and another polite smile. She struggled with her luggage and rang the buzzer at the main doors of the dorm since they were locked. The RA asked for her name before she was buzzed inside.

"Regina?" A guy with shaggy blonde hair called out as he came down the stairs. "I'm Ricky," he smiled and he reached for her bigger suitcase. "Find it all right?"

"Hello Ricky," Regina nodded. "I did yes. I had to take a cab because—"

"Charlie is waiting," he interrupted. "She's getting a bit impatient. She doesn't like to wait around, after all."

"I see."

"Most of the students have gone home for the winter break, but Charlie sticks around more often than not," he chuckled and he began the climb up the stairs to the third floor, neither speaking until they reached Regina's floor and he put her suitcase down with a heavy, tired sigh. "I'm in 102 if you need anything, anything at all," he said and he handed off the heavy suitcase to her. "I'll have your entry key ready for you by tomorrow. Stop by my room first thing and we'll get all that paperwork filled out and sorted."

Regina gripped on to the handle of her heavier suitcase and watched the RA skip down the stairs without another word. She dragged her luggage down the hall to room 308 and set it down on the floor. She hesitated on knocking on the door for a moment before she eventually raised a hand and knocked twice.

"Enter!" A woman called out from inside and Regina tried the door, finding it locked. She knocked again. "I said enter!"

"It's locked," Regina replied and she took a step back. A minute later she heard a lock being undone and a very irritated redhead yanked the door open. "Hi, I'm Regina. I'm your new—"

"Charlie," she said in a clipped tone. "Your bed is near the window," she said as she retreated into the room. "Keep your stuff on your side and we won't have any problems. Bathroom is just down the hall. Lucky here, he and I game every night so just ignore him," she continued as she pointed to a heavy-set guy in front of a television with a controller in his hand while a game played on the screen. "Lucky, where the hell are your manners, dude?"

"What?" He asked, barely taking his eyes off the screen.

"This is my new roommate," Charlie said. "Regina, right?"

"Yes," Regina replied. "Pleasure to—"

"Do you play?" Lucky asked her and she shook her head no. "We can teach you."

"No thank you," Regina replied quietly and she dragged her luggage into the room and over to the small bed by the window. "Is there a phone anywhere that I can—"

"Lounge," Charlie replied as she took a seat on the futon beside her friend and grabbed a controller. "Your room key is on your desk."

"Thanks," Regina muttered under her breath, grabbing the key and she took her purse with her, finding the lounge with a little difficulty on the other end of the floor.

There was a lone payphone in the corner and she took a seat on the stool in front of it, feeding in a few quarters before dialing her mother's number, but before the line began to ring, she hung up, feeling as if she was on the verge of breaking down, she fed the quarters back into the slot and dialed Kathryn's number instead.

"Hi, you've reached Kathryn Nolan. Please leave your name and number and a brief message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

"Kat, it's me. I'll try back later, but I really need to talk to you. I—I—" Regina stopped short, not knowing what to say as a lump grew in her throat and tears filled her eyes. "I just met my roommate. She's not—not what I expected. At all. I think we got off on the wrong foot, not to mention the car I rented for a week wasn't available by the time I went to check it out and, god damn it, I need to talk to you, Kat. Please, please be around when I call in an hour. I really need to talk to you…"

[X]

Emma frowned as she stood in the middle of the furnished living room in the apartment in New York City. She had flown out almost a week earlier than originally planned because her new boss had requested she come as soon as possible just hours after she'd broken the news to her parents. Henry wandered around the living room, poking and prodding at the furniture as he carried his fire truck in one hand and occasionally plopped his thumb into his mouth with the other.

In just under eight hours they'd be ringing in the New Year in a new city, just the two of them alone, together. Emma bent down to pick up her son and held him close, sighing softly as the feeling of homesickness began to settle in. She carried him throughout the small, two-bedroom apartment, exploring the place they would call home until her contract was up and if she decided that they would stay on beyond that year.

She wanted to call Regina, to tell her that she'd made the move to New York City on a whim, but when she had called her while they waited for a car to pick them up from the airport, she had only gotten the answering machine at the only number she had to contact Regina. She wanted to find a way to drive out to see her and soon, no matter what it took, but every car rental place she had called in the last twelve hours had no available vehicles due to it being New Year's Eve.

"Well, Hen?" Emma asked as she twirled her son around the room that was his. "What do you think?"

Henry gave her a confused look as she slowed down and secured him to her hip once more. He dropped his fire truck and stuck a thumb in his mouth.

"You get a big boy bed now," she said quietly as she walked over to the small twin-sized bad along one wall. "And you get a room all to yourself!"

"To me?" Henry asked and Emma nodded with a smile. "All mine?"

"All yours, Henry."

"Okay," he said slowly, taking in the room by looking cautiously at every miniscule detail.

"I know it's not much," Emma said and she placed him down on his feet. "We can fix it up for you, okay?"

She knew he didn't fully understand everything she was saying and she watched him as he picked up his fire truck he'd dropped and started to wave it through the air, making noises that almost sounded like the sirens the fire engines made. She let him stay in his new room alone as she walked out to the living room and pulled out her cell phone.

She scrolled through her contact list, but it was minimal when it came to friends and family. She ended up calling her mother to tell her that they had gotten to their new apartment safe and sound, giving her mother a peace of mind since she had been fraught with worry ever since Emma had booked the last minute flight. They spoke only briefly as the buzzer rang and when Emma answered the door, it was a man in a FedEx uniform, delivering the two dozen boxes she had sent the day before.

She instructed the delivery man to put the boxes just in the living room and she went to get Henry while he unloaded each of them, three at a time up six flights of stairs. Emma found the box with most of Henry's toys and she carried it into his new room, opening it and telling him to stay in there while she sorted through the rest.

She tipped the delivery man twenty dollars, unsure what was proper and legit, but he didn't complain, he just gave her a curt nod and wished her a happy New Year before he left.

Emma spent the better part of an hour going through the boxes until she found the one that contained the box of letters from Regina, something she couldn't bear to part with even years later. Beside the old Converse shoebox was the smaller one that contained all the paper flowers Regina had made and sent to her over the years. She pulled out a few of them and even though it'd been a few years, some still faintly smelled of the designer perfume Regina had spritzed them with before sending them off to her.

From what Ruby had said to her over a year before, Emma knew it was Chanel #5 perfume spritzed on the paper flowers. There were hints of jasmine, and vanilla and she could even smell a little bit of sandalwood and a little of other floral scents mixed in. Whenever she picked up on anyone else wearing it, she always thought of Regina, associating that specific scent to the woman she'd never met face-to-face.

Her stomach twisted in knots when she thought of being able to drive a handful of hours to visit Regina when she returned to school in New Haven. Even if she decided to go to school in Boston, the drive out there was still considerably less than it would be from Tallahassee. She found herself smiling and sniffing a paper flower, one of the ones that still smelled a little stronger than the others of Regina's perfume.

"Mama?" Henry asked as he tugged on her jeans. "Hungry."

"Do you want to go out and get something to eat, Hen?"

"No."

"What do you want?"

"Maconi."

"Macaroni?" Emma asked and she frowned when he simply just nodded his head and looked up at her with big, wide eyes. "We have to go out and find a store, kiddo. We don't have anything to eat in here. Come on," she said and she scooped him up in her arms before placing him on the couch and pulling his new winter coat on. She put on his hat and the little mittens she'd bought for him at the airport before pulling on her red leather jacket that had been a late Christmas gift from August.

Emma found the store just around the corner fairly easily and after buying over a hundred dollars worth of groceries, she barely managed to carry everything and drag Henry along with her back to the new apartment. She unpacked the pot her mother had packed in one of the boxes and she barely had the water in it and on the stove before her cell phone started to ring.

"Hello?"

"Hi sweetie," her mother said. "You'll never believe who just showed up here out of the blue."

"What? Who?"

"Regina."

[X]

Regina had somehow convinced her new roommate—not to mention her polar opposite—to make the nearly three hour drive in her beat-up Ford focus to Tallahassee. In the few days she'd been at the dorms, she had gotten to know Charlie Bradbury, and while they were both cut from a different cloth, they somehow found a middle ground and were on the right track to becoming somewhat friends. When Regina mentioned that she wanted to surprise a friend of hers on New Year's Eve, Charlie put a full tank of gas in her car and told her they were going on a last minute road trip to Tallahassee.

Regina had been nervous the entire drive upstate and even listening to the long-winded stories that Charlie told her had done nothing to loosen the knot in her stomach. Charlie had asked her a lot of questions, most of which Regina answered vaguely. She knew she shouldn't have been so surprised when Charlie made the very same assumption that Kathryn had a few times before, asking if she was in love with Emma Swan. As she was with Kathryn, she was quick to deny it to Charlie as well, changing the subject as best as she could while wanting to jump out of the small car and on to the interstate just to escape the conversation completely.

It was just past seven when they pulled up to the Swan house. Charlie stayed in the car while Regina got out and took in the small house, looking at every little detail she could see in the dark and let her eyes swoop over the front lawn and to the spot she guessed that Emma had given birth to Henry at the side of the front walkway just a few feet from the sidewalk.

She took a few deep breaths before walking up to the front door. Upon finding no doorbell, which she found odd, she knocked three times and took a step back. She could just faintly hear the sounds of a baby crying inside, no doubt Emma's little brother, and a moment later a brunette woman opened the door with a baby in her arms.

"Hi," she said and immediately Regina recognized her as Emma's mother. "Can I help you?"

"Hi," Regina smiled at her. "Is Emma here?"

"No. No, she's in New York City."

"She's—" Regina's whole heart deflated all at once. "She's in New York?"

"She and Henry just left this morning," Mary Margaret replied and it took her just a handful of seconds before her eyes grew wide in realization. "Regina?"

"Hi," Regina smiled at the woman and she was unprepared for the awkward one-armed hug she immediately received. "I—"

"What are you doing here?" Mary Margaret asked and she pulled Regina into the house while juggling her newborn baby with one arm. "Did Emma know you were coming? What am I thinking? Of course she didn't or else she wouldn't have flown out this morning. What are you doing here?"

Regina felt like a complete and utter fool. Her plan to surprise Emma had failed miserably and she began to wonder if anything would've been different if she had only told her that she had transferred to UF and would be there for the New Year. She masked her disappointment as best as she could, following Emma's mother through the small house and into the kitchen.

"David, this is Regina," Mary Margaret said excitedly to the blonde-haired man standing by the kitchen table and eating tortilla chips and dip.

"Regina? Emma's Regina?" David asked and hearing him say those words made Regina heart skip half a beat and it also made the knot in her stomach twist painfully so. "What are you doing here? Did Emma know you were coming?"

"Of course she didn't know, David," Mary Margaret said as she poked him in the shoulder and shook her head. "Would you like something to drink, Regina?"

"I—I'm fine. Why is Emma in New York?"

"She didn't tell you?" Mary Margaret asked with a frown. "She got a job there. She didn't tell us until just a few days ago. She was supposed to leave on the third but that changed when she got a phone call from her new boss yesterday. She didn't tell you?"

"No," Regina frowned. "She didn't."

"Oh."

Mary Margaret's disappointment mirrored her own, but Regina forced a smile on to her face and accepted a bottle of cold beer from David once he'd pulled one out of the refrigerator and opened it for her.

"I—I have someone waiting outside," Regina stammered. "My roommate. She's the one who drove out this way."

"Invite her in," Mary Margaret smiled. "The more the merrier! You two are more than welcome to stay for tonight."

"I wouldn't want to intrude. I—I came here to see Emma and she's not here."

"Stay for an hour at least?" Mary Margaret asked. "Please?"

In the end, Regina did stay and Charlie made herself right at home in the living room with Emma's father and the next-door neighbor, August. Regina found herself in Emma's bedroom with her mother, watching as she placed the baby into the crib carefully. Regina took a look around the room and aside from the furniture; there were no signs of Emma left behind, nothing aside from the lone paper flower, one she had made for her for her last birthday that sat on top of the bare desk.

Mary Margaret ushered her downstairs and she called Emma in the kitchen after she poured Regina and herself a glass of white wine. Regina took a small sip, forcing herself not to make a face at the cheap house wine, while Mary Margaret held the cordless phone to her ear.

"Hi sweetie," Mary Margaret said softly. "You'll never believe who just showed up here out of the blue."

Regina took another sip before Emma's mother said her name and then after a moment, she handed the phone to her. Regina took it, taking one more sip of the wine before holding the phone to her ear while Mary Margaret walked out of the kitchen to give her a little bit of privacy.

"Hello Emma," she whispered into the phone.

"Regina," Emma replied and she sounded almost panicked. "What are you doing at my parents' house? What the hell are you even doing in Florida?"

"What the hell are you doing in New York?" Regina countered and she took a few breaths as Emma did. "I'm sorry. I—I was going to surprise you. I believe I did not think this plan through thoroughly enough. I didn't anticipate you leaving to move to New York City."

"What are you doing there, Regina?"

"I transferred," she replied quietly. "I transferred to UF. I'm going to finish my last two years here and possibly stay on afterwards to get my Masters here."

"Why?"

"You know that I have wanted to go to UF since I told you when we were sixteen. I decided to take my future into my own hands and made it happen."

"Oh. That's—that's great, Regina."

"How come you never told me about this job in New York City?" Regina asked carefully and she could just faintly hear Henry in the background playing. "Is he playing with the fire truck I got him for Christmas?"

"Oh yeah," Emma laughed. "He can't put it down. He even sleeps with it. It's his new favorite toy. I don't know if he knows it's from you, I mean I told him but he only knows you from your voice, not, you know."

"It is quite all right."

"About this job?" Emma said quietly. "It all happened last minute. My parents, they need some help paying the hospital bills and this job? This job is going to allow me to help them pay it off."

"Is that the only reason you took it?"

"Not the only reason," Emma muttered quietly. "Why didn't you tell me you were transferring down to the University of Florida, Regina?"

"As I said, I wanted it to be a surprise. It is why I showed up at your parents' house tonight, hoping to surprise you."

"Damn it."

"Emma—"

"We have like the worst luck, don't we?" Emma asked and Regina couldn't help but laugh along with her. "I was hoping to make a surprise visit to New Haven or to Storybrooke or Boston or wherever you went back to school at up here. Didn't think you'd transfer all the way down to Florida while I moved to New York City."

"You were going to come and see me too?"

"Yeah."

"Damn," Regina muttered softly and Emma laughed. "We most definitely have the worst luck and the worst timing, dear."

"I'm starting to think we're never going to be able to see each other."

"Never say never," Regina whispered. "We will one day."

Regina had hoped that one day would've been that very day, but she didn't let it pull her down or seep into her already broken heart that was ever so slowly beginning to mend. She had been looking forward to finally seeing Emma, to finally being able to hug her as she'd wanted to for so many years. She had to reassure herself that she would one day, and hopefully soon, and she smiled when she heard Henry babbling, his voice closer than before.

"Mama fucked up," Emma muttered and Regina bit her bottom lip. "Regina is at our old house right now. Can you believe it?"

"Gina?" Henry asked and her heart completely melted at hearing him say her name.

"Yeah, Mama totally fucked up. If only we just stayed until the third and told—"

"Emma, language," Regina scolded gently.

"What?" Emma asked and Regina shook her head. "It's not like he knows what that word means!"

"He is almost four years old. He will start repeating everything you say soon enough if he hasn't already."

"Shit."

"Emma—"

"Shit!" Henry exclaimed and Regina had to bite her bottom lip to keep from laughing and to keep from telling Emma she was right.

"Henry, no!" Emma whined. "Don't say that word!"

"Shit!" He exclaimed again. "Shit!"

"Henry!"

"Emma," Regina said gently. "Can I speak with him?"

"Damn it," Emma groaned. "The macaroni is burning. I gotta go, Regina."

"Okay," she sighed. "Can I call you tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Happy New Year, Emma."

"Yeah, happy New Year, Regina."

Regina hung up and wrapped her arms around herself, willing herself not to cry for a whole host of reasons. She picked up her glass of cheap house wine from the counter just as Emma's mother came back into the kitchen with Charlie right behind her.

"We're going to do some shots!" Charlie laughed and when Mary Margaret shushed her, she giggled and placed a finger over her lips. "We're going to do some shots. Tequila. You in, Regina?"

"I don't know if that is such a good idea, Charlie. We have to drive back tonight and—"

"You can stay," Mary Margaret replied. "There's room for you two to stay tonight."

"I don't want to intrude."

Mary Margaret threw her arms around Regina and it was clear that in the short phone call with Emma that Mary Margaret had already indulged in a few shots. "You are not intruding, Regina. You're practically family! Don't you know that? Stay!"

Regina, in the end, stayed at the Swan's house for the night. She got to know Emma's parents and August Booth, and she had to admit, despite never having met them before, she did feel as if she already knew them from how many times Emma had talked about them all. Mary Margaret had been right about one thing, they were practically family and she definitely felt that vibe well into the night.

She ended up sleeping in Emma's bed and she could just faintly smell the blonde's scent still on the sheets that her mother had yet to wash. She shifted on the bed, struggling to get comfortable and when she slid her hand under the pillow, she pulled out the Polaroid, the one she'd taken years before and sent to Emma. After finding the Polaroid, Regina slipped it back under the pillow and soon began drifting off to sleep with ease.

[X]

Spring brought a lot of changes and with the changes all around the city, there were changes with Emma's job. She was being sent on more and more assignments, most of which she was thankfully allowed to bring Henry along on.

He was growing up fast— _too fast_ —and the time he spent at the office daycare center had proved to be a good thing for him. He was learning how to talk much better and clearer, his baby babble becoming less and less as the weeks went on. He had friends at the daycare center, and the women that ran it always expressed what a good child he was, how kind and caring he was to the other children there. He even sucked his thumb less and less, Emma had noticed, and the toy fire engine that Regina had sent to him for Christmas was still his favorite toy and it never left his hand, not even during his baths or when he slept in his big boy bed at night.

Emma's work assignments were interesting to say the least. Central Park was one of her favorite places to spend the afternoon taking pictures with the couple thousand dollar camera her work had supplied her with. Sometimes, after she finished taking the photographs she was assigned, she'd pull out her personal camera and take pictures of Henry as he explored the park.

By the time the first of May rolled around, the feeling of homesickness had disappeared completely. She felt more at home in the city, in the apartment, and she had settled into a fairly comfortable routine with work and with her son. On one particular Monday morning, she walked into the conference room, ready for the office-wide meeting that happened once a month, but she was surprised to find only one of the senior editors waiting at the table.

"Ms. Swan," Killian Jones drawled out. "Please take a seat."

"Mr. Jones, I thought that this was a—"

"That will follow our meeting," he replied. "Please take a seat," he repeated and when she chose one across the narrow table from him, he grinned. "I have a proposition for you, Ms. Swan."

"A proposition?"

"An assignment," he clarified.

"Okay?"

"In California."

Emma's heart was beating hard and heavy in her chest. She had been waiting for this month since she moved to the city because in just a few weeks time, Regina would be returning to Storybrooke for the summer. They already had plans to meet up in Boston, to spend a week there together with Henry.

"You want me to go to California?" Emma asked. "For how long?"

"Until September," Killian Jones replied. "I will be accompanying you on the assignment as well. There is one downside."

Emma frowned and she knew exactly what was coming next. "I can't just leave my son behind with a sitter for four months, Mr. Jones."

"Call me Killian, please," he said flippantly. "What about your parents? Couldn't they watch the little lad while you're away?"

"My parents live in Florida."

"Send him off to them then."

"Mr. Jones—Killian, I can't do that. He's my son, he is my responsibility, and he goes wherever I go. Mrs. Cameron was fully aware of that when she hired me."

"Do you want this assignment or not, Swan?"

"You haven't even told me what this assignment is all about yet, just that it is in California," she retorted and she shifted in her seat, wanting nothing more than to slap the smarmy look off of the man's face. "Couldn't someone else do it?"

"Your contract," Killian said and he opened up a folder that lay in front of him. "It clearly states that you must take any and all assignment presented to you. Do I need to read that clause out loud for you since you clearly did not read it when you signed it back in January?"

"No," she said quietly. "I read it."

"Then," he grinned and he pulled out a plane ticket, one-way, to Los Angeles, "you understand the terms you are to follow here. You have two days, Swan, to wrap things up here and to find adequate accommodation for you son while you are gone. Two days."

"What is the assignment, Killian?"

"There are several. You'll be briefed in two days," he replied and he closed the folder with the copy of her contract inside just as the others began to arrive for the office-wide meeting. "Mrs. Cameron," he purred as he greeted the president and founder of the publishing company. "You look lovely today."

"Thank you, Killian," the older woman smiled before she looked over at Emma. "I take it that you've been briefed on your next assignment, Emma?"

"Yes, ma'am," she replied tightly. "Mr. Jones wasn't specific on what the assignment—"

"We will both brief you in two days before we fly out to LA," Mrs. Cameron replied flippantly before she snapped her fingers at the others who were filing into the conference room and everyone almost immediately took a seat. "Now, is everyone here? Good, great, let's get started! Mr. Jones, if you will?"

Killian Jones cleared his throat before he stood up. "First things first, the numbers we're seeing are brilliant, some of the best we've had in years," he said with a smile. "We have thirty-seven new projects on the table, twenty of which will need to be finalized and printed before the end of the month. The schedule will be sent out to your emails immediately—"

Emma tuned him out as she stared down at the plane ticket she had in front of her. She could say no, she could just walk out of there, pack up the apartment and move back to Tallahassee in a moment, but she also knew how lucky she was to have that job and it paid well, well enough that by the end of the year all of Nathan's hospital bills would be paid off in full.

All she had to do was make it through the next four months and hope that the assignment she was being sent on would help her make a solid name for herself. Once she made that name for herself, she could do freelance work and spend more time with Henry before he started kindergarten in the fall.

"Ms. Swan?"

Emma blinked as she looked over at Mrs. Cameron. "Yes?"

"Do you have anything to add?"

"No," she said as confidently as she could manage since she hadn't been listening to a word that Killian had been saying for the last five minutes. "Nothing to add, Mrs. Cameron."

"Wonderful," she smiled tightly at her. "Now, Phillip is going to be in charge while the three of us are at the offices in LA for the next couple of months. Stacy? You'll be conducting the monthly meetings until our return. You will need to make sure, and I mean absolutely make sure, that everyone here sticks to the deadlines. Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Four and a half hours later, Emma entered the daycare center to pick up Henry. He was one of the last children there and he immediately ran straight to her, jumping up into her arms with a laugh. She set him back down and walked over to Maria, the woman who ran the center.

"Hey," she smiled at the older Latina woman who looked beyond exhausted. "Something came up and uh, Henry won't be in anymore."

"Oh no?" Maria asked with a look of concern. "They didn't fire you, did they?" She asked in a hushed whisper.

"No, no, nothing like that. I'm being sent to LA for a couple of months," Emma replied and she frowned slightly. "I'm taking Henry back to my parents' place and I uh, I don't know if we're going to be back here after I finish this assignment in LA."

Maria nodded and moved to hug her tightly. "You do what is best for you and your sweet little boy. This company?" She said as she leaned back and placed a finger over her lips. "You can do so much better than this place, Emma. The perks, they are nice yes, but when the demands start coming in, they make it impossible to say no. I know because my daughter, she once had your job. That man, the senior editor?"

"Killian Jones?"

"He's scum," Maria spat angrily. "He made a move on my daughter and she filed a complaint. She came to work next day, fired. Week before Christmas!"

Emma frowned uneasily and grabbed Henry's backpack. "Thank you for everything, Maria. Truly. Henry, he's really blossomed being here with you and the other ladies."

"He's a smart boy," she nodded and she knelt down in front of him. "You be good, Henry."

"Always good," he grinned. "Bye Maria!"

"Hey," Emma said once they walked out into the hallway and waited for the elevator together. "How about we go get some pizza tonight, kid? What do you think?"

"Pizza?" Henry asked and Emma nodded. "Okay!"

"Mama has something to talk to you about when we get home, okay?"

"Okay Mama."

She bent down to pick him up, exhaling sharply at how heavy he'd been getting over the last few months. "You really need to stop growing, Hen."

"Nope."

Emma smiled and kissed his cheek before she stepped on to the elevator. They weren't alone, Killian Jones was in the elevator and he smiled at both of them as the doors slid shut. Emma nodded at him in acknowledgement and swayed slightly with Henry in her arms as the elevator slowly went down to the lobby.

Killian didn't say much, aside from goodnight that Henry returned for her with a smile and a wave. She scoffed quietly as she stepped out of the elevator and waited until she knew for certain that Killian Jones wasn't following her out before she put Henry down on to his feet.

The walk to the pizzeria just down the street from their apartment was rather quick and while they waited for their order, Emma turned her cell phone over and over in her hand before she called her mother. Her call was answered on the sixth ring and her mother sounded beyond exhausted. She could hear her baby brother in the background and she frowned at how frazzled her mother sounded.

"Maybe I'll call back later, Mom," Emma said quietly.

"No, its fine, sweetie. Is there something wrong?"

"Not really," she said and she watched Henry as he stood in front of the large fish tank, watching the dozens of tropical fish that were inside swim around. "I got a big assignment today."

"You did? That's wonderful news!" Mary Margaret replied and when Emma didn't say anything, she heard her mother sigh. "It's not wonderful news? What is the assignment?"

"I—I don't know yet, but they want me to go to LA."

"California? Really?"

"Yeah…"

"For how long? I'm sure Henry will love it out there and—"

"That's kind of why I'm calling, Mom," Emma said and she was on the verge of tears. She truly didn't want to ask her parents to take Henry in for the next four months, but she had no one else to turn to. "I can't take him with me."

"You can't? But you take him with you on all your assignments, don't you?"

"It's different this time."

"How long are you going to be in LA for, Emma?"

"Until September. I—I leave on Thursday."

"I see."

"Mom, I hate to ask you this because I know you have your hands full with Nathan—"

"It's fine," she said quickly. "We can look after him. School is nearly over and Henry can sleep in your old bed while he's here. Emma?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you have to take this assignment?" Mary Margaret asked and when Emma didn't say anything, she heard her sigh again. "You said you are leaving on Thursday?"

"Yeah, I am. I was hoping to fly down with Henry, but I don't know if I can. I—I haven't checked any of the flights yet. I just got off work about half an hour ago."

"Tell you what," her mother said quietly. "Your father can drive up to the city and pick Henry up before Thursday. I'll speak with him about it tonight."

"What about work?"

"He can take a few days off. In fact, I think he needs it. Nathan has been a handful the past couple of days. I think he might be coming down with something."

"Swan, order up!" The man behind the counter yelled out.

"I'll call you later?" Emma asked and after she said goodbye to her mother and hung up, she walked up to the counter. "Sorry," she said as she fished out her wallet from her jacket pocket and took out a twenty to pay for the pizza. "Come on, kiddo, let's go home."

"Bye Henry," the man behind the counter said with a smile and a wave.

"Goodbye mister pizza man!" Henry waved back as Emma carried the pizza box in one hand and held on to his hand with the other. "Did you get pepperoni, Mama?"

"I did," she smiled as they walked out onto the busy sidewalk. "Are you hungry, Hen?"

"Hungry like a horse!"

Emma shook her head and laughed, but deep inside she was already feeling the pain of being away from her son for months at a time when she had barely been away from him for more than a day in the last four years. She would call him every day, twice a day if she could while she was in California. It would help a little, but it wouldn't be enough.

Later that night, she sent Regina an email because she didn't feel up to talking to her or hearing the disappointment in her voice that she wouldn't be able to make it to Boston to spend a week there with her. Literally ten minutes after she'd sent the email, her cell phone started to ring. She frowned when she saw Regina's name on the screen and she let the call go to her voice mail.

She explained to Henry in a way he could understand what was happening over the next couple of months as she put him to bed. He seemed to understand and he seemed to be okay with going back to Tallahassee for four months. When he was fast asleep, she started picking up his toys that were scattered around on the floor and placed them into his toy box. By the time she retreated to the kitchen, her cell phone was ringing once again.

With a heavy sigh, she answered it. "Hello Regina."

[X]

Regina had finished one of her last exams of the semester in record time and she headed back to the dorms, skipping out on joining her roommate at the mess hall for dinner. She was beyond exhausted and was looking forward to a night in the room alone since Charlie had mentioned to her that morning she was going to a gaming party that night with her best friend Lucky. Regina dropped her book bag beside her desk, ignoring her roommate's mess on the other side of the room. She pulled out her laptop and plugged it in, checking her cell phone while she waited for it to boot up.

Aside from the daily phone call from Kathryn she had missed during her exam, there were no other missed phone calls. She wanted to call Emma because it was getting closer and closer to the time where they would be able to meet up for the first time and she was growing increasingly excited. She had gone to Tallahassee to visit with her parents a handful of times over the months since New Year's Eve, something that Mary Margaret had asked of her if she could find the time.

But it was still far too early to call Emma as Regina knew she would still be at work. Regina went over some of her notes for the exam she had on Friday, knowing she was more than well prepared for it.

Her first semester at the university had gone surprisingly well and she climbed to the top of her class, maintaining a perfect grade point average. All she needed to do was maintain it for the next couple of years and she'd be able to start her Master's. There were still some moments she thought about changing her major, of becoming a teacher as she had always wanted to become, but her mother had been right about one thing, she did have the passion, the perseverance and the knowledge to become a doctor, a good one at that.

It was past eight that night before her the laptop beeped; alerting her that she had an email. She opened it immediately, but the smile that was on her face seeing Emma's name quickly disappeared as she read through the email quickly.

 _Regina,_

 _I have some news to share with you and it's good and bad, good for my career as a photographer, but bad also because I'm being sent to California on Thursday for the next four months on an assignment. I wish this hadn't come so quickly. I wanted to spend that week with you in Boston, I really did. It's been what, seven years since we started writing to each other? Almost seven years._

 _Luck hasn't been on our side at all, has it? I hate that I have no other choice but to take this assignment. They won't even allow me to bring Henry with me. I just spoke with my mother not that long ago and Henry is going to be going back home to stay with them while I'm in LA. My father is actually making the drive up to the city to pick him up so I don't have to send him on a plane all by himself. Not that I would._

 _If I can get through this assignment, I'm quitting this job. If I do well on this, I will make a name for myself, a good one, one that can get me steady work as a freelance photographer and I can spend more time with Henry and possibly come and see you in Gainesville when your classes start up again._

 _I hate that my parents have gotten to spend time with you, that my mother has hugged you and that she has been able to just be around you. I think about the first time we'll get to see each other almost every day, Regina, and sometimes I dream of those moments and each time it is all so very different. Maybe one day soon, I'll tell you all about it, but I don't know, I can't explain it right now because I don't even know how to put any of it into words._

 _I would've called you to tell you this, but I don't think I can hear how disappointed and upset this news is going to make you. We've both been looking forward to this for months and if I had a choice, trust me, I would've turned down the assignment in a heartbeat just so I could have that week with you in Boston._

 _Do you remember when my mom had Nathan, when we spoke the next morning? Do you remember what I said just before we hung up? I meant it, Regina. I do love you._

 _I'll speak with you before I fly out. Until then,_

 _Emma_

Regina's heart was racing as she read over the words. "I do love you" over and over again. She grabbed her phone and called Emma, waiting and waiting for her to answer. The sheer disappointment that washed over her was indescribable when Emma didn't answer brought tears to her eyes and she ended the call without leaving a message.

She read over the email a few more times, her heart skipping at beat at those words, "I do love you", each time she read them. The more she read them, the more she realized that she mirrored those very same feelings. She spent almost an hour thinking about the way she felt about Emma, the way that Emma made her feel. Even when she married Daniel, Emma had been on her mind that morning before they had eloped. Even in the few months of married bliss she had with him before his tragic death, she still thought about Emma nearly every single day, even if just for a fleeting moment.

She grasped over her chest just above her heart when the thought she never thought she'd have ran through her mind so clearly, so loudly. She loved Emma Swan, but it was more than that. She was in love with her and she had been for many years. She'd just been in denial and she'd also spent many of those years in love with Daniel.

Kathryn had been right before. It was entirely possible to be in love with two people at the same time. She picked up her phone and called Emma again, her heart racing hard and fast when Emma picked up the phone on the fourth ring.

"Hello Regina."

"Hi," she said softly. "I read your email," she added quickly. "Is now not a good time to talk?"

"It's fine," Emma said after a few lingering seconds. "Henry is in bed. I'm just going to have a glass of wine. Will you have one with me so I'm technically not drinking alone?"

Regina laughed and walked over to the small bar fridge near the door. Inside she had a bottle of her father's cider she had yet to open. "Of course," she said as she pulled it out. She cradled the phone against her ear with her shoulder as she opened the cap and poured herself a glass. "So, California?"

"It sucks, I know," Emma replied and Regina could almost hear the frown in her voice. "Regina I—"

"I have something I need to say to you first," Regina said and she took a deep breath, taking a sip of her cider for a little courage. "I love you too, Emma Swan, I do."


	6. Chapter 6

**Part VI**

On August the third, Regina found herself back in New Haven at the request of the fire chief. They were holding a memorial for Daniel and the other man, John Babcock, who had lost his life a year previously during the tragic five-alarm blaze and she was told her presence there, while not required, would be greatly appreciated. She made the trip down to New Haven with Kathryn at her side and it was during that trip that Kathryn dropped a bombshell on her just an hour after they had left Storybrooke.

"I'm pregnant," Kathryn said and the news nearly caused Regina to swerve off of the road. "Regina!"

"I'm sorry," she said and she gripped the steering wheel tightly. "Did you just say that you are pregnant?"

"Yes," Kathryn smiled. "Three months, well close to it. I had a visit with Dr. Whale yesterday to confirm it."

"Congratulations," Regina smiled right back at her and she loosened her tight grip on the steering wheel. "I am so happy for you, Kat."

"Thank you."

"What about school?"

"I'm going to finish this upcoming semester," Kathryn replied. "I'm going to take a semester off and then, well, after the baby is born, we'll see what happens after that."

"You only have a year left."

"I know. I can still graduate next December. It's only one semester."

Regina drove in silence for a little while before she turned to look at her best friend. She was overcome with emotion and joy for her and for Frederick. She knew it wasn't planned and she knew that Kathryn had expressed before that she had wanted to wait to start a family with Frederick until after she had graduated and settled into her career as a defense lawyer.

They started to talk about the future at the halfway point and Regina listened to Kathryn prattle on and on about her own future, the baby, and the kind of life that she dreamt of giving her first child. Regina had dreams of her own, dreams that had been shattered by her husband's sudden and tragic death. She hadn't told Kathryn that she told Emma that she loved her, nor had she told Kathryn that she realized, after all those years that had passed, that she was in love with Emma Swan. It wasn't the right time or place to tell her such things, not when it was the unfortunate anniversary of her husband's death.

They arrived in New Haven just after one in the afternoon and after checking in to the cute little bed and breakfast Regina had made reservations at, she and Kathryn went for a walk through town together, stopping to get some frozen yogurt at a mom and pop store along the way.

The memorial service was being held at the sight of the now demolished retirement home at precisely seven in the evening. Regina wasn't particularly looking forward to it and her emotions were already beginning to fully consume her. She was starting to feel like it was that very day all over again, and she could hear Daniel's final words as if he had just spoken them mere moments before.

He never got to see her new, much shorter hair cut. He never got to kiss her just one last time. She was grateful she had that last conversation with him in the moments before the alarm had rang, but it hurt so very much knowing that his life, and theirs together, had ended that very night.

Regina pulled out her cell phone, bringing up Emma's number and her thumb hovered over the call button before she broke down into tears. She had barely spoken to her in the last three months, and she had made the trip to Tallahassee over a dozen times and had met Henry in that time. She gasped quietly as Kathryn took her phone from her, frowning in the moments before she lunged forward and wrapped her arms tightly around her.

"Regina," Kathryn hushed as she rubbed her hands over her back. "Breathe, Regina, breathe. It's going to be okay. I'm here."

"Not that I am not grateful you are here, but—"

"You wish I was her, don't you?" Kathryn asked gently. "You wish that she was here instead of me."

"Y—yes. I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" Kathryn asked as she held Regina at arm's length for a moment before wrapping her arms around her once more. "You cannot help but love who you love. Daniel was one. She is the other."

"And neither of them are here right now," Regina said tearfully, trying and failing to hold back her tears, breaking down in the middle of the busy street. "I—I feel so very selfish for wanting them both here right now."

"Shh," Kathryn soothed as she held on to her tight. "Breathe, Regina, breathe. You aren't selfish. You aren't," she said and she rubbed over her back in a way that helped her breathe again. "What can I do for you?"

"I don't know."

"Do you want to call her?" Kathryn asked as she leaned back and held on to Regina's shoulders tightly. "We'll call her right now."

"No, no we can't," Regina sighed. "She never answers her personal phone until after six which will be nine o'clock our time tonight. I can't call her while she's working."

It now went without saying that _her_ was Emma Swan. Regina had tried in the few months since she had realized her true feelings, to forget, to push them aside to no avail. She had, for nearly seven years, left the ball in Emma's court. She could've so easily made the trip to see her, but that wasn't her move, it wasn't her call to make, and she had convinced herself of that completely.

They returned to their shared room at the bed and breakfast where Regina let the tears flow freely and Kathryn just let her cry. She was so very grateful that Kathryn didn't push, didn't question, just laid with her on the bed and held her tight. It was how they spent a good portion of the afternoon before they got ready to attend the memorial service just a few blocks away.

It was a beautiful day and thankfully the humidity had stayed away for the last few days. They walked the few blocks, joining hundreds of others that were gathered there. Ten minutes before the service began, her cell phone rang and she answered it on the first ring quickly.

"Hello?"

"Hey," Emma said softly. "It's me."

"Hi," Regina smiled, feeling a flood of relief flow through her at hearing Emma's voice.

"I didn't miss it, did I?"

"No, it hasn't started yet."

"Can you keep me on the phone during the service?" Emma asked. "That way I'll kind of be there with you?"

"Aren't you working?"

"I'm taking a break," Emma replied. "How are you doing?"

Regina took a deep breath and looked over at Kathryn. Her best friend just smiled and reached for her left hand and held on tight. "I'm all right, Emma. Better now since you called."

Regina didn't hang up and when the service began, she placed the phone on her lap and listened to the fire chief speak. It was a moving speech and she had surprisingly kept herself together, Kathryn not once letting go of her hand. When it came time for her to lay a wreath at the makeshift memorial in memory of her husband, she handed her phone to Kathryn and stood on shaky legs.

When she returned to her seat, Kathryn handed her the phone back and she took a few deep breaths, her hand sliding back into Kathryn's as the bagpipes began to play. Near the end of the ceremony, she lifted the phone back to her ear, and exhaled softly.

"I wish I was there with you right now," Emma whispered.

"I wish you were too."

"Shit," Emma muttered and she could just faintly hear someone else in the background, calling out Emma's name. "I have to go, Regina."

"Okay."

"I'll call you later?" Emma asked quickly. "Love you."

Emma ended the call before Regina could say another word. She exhaled shakily and squeezed Kathryn's hand as the ceremony came to a close. There was a potluck down at the station where Daniel and the other man who died that night had worked at, but Regina wasn't feeling strong enough to make it through another hour. After speaking briefly with the fire chief, she and Kathryn returned to their room at the bed and breakfast, neither speaking much at all as they changed into their pajamas and crawled into the same bed.

"I miss him so very much," Regina whispered and Kathryn nodded, brushing aside a few strands of her hair that had fallen over her eyes. "I feel guilty."

"Why?"

Regina shook her head as a few hot tears fell from her eyes. "Because I love her too. Because I—I think I've loved her as long as I have loved him."

"I think he knew that too," Kathryn whispered. "What do you think is going to happen now, Regina?"

"I don't know. I honestly don't know. She's still in California and I have no idea what she is going to do once she's done there. I don't know if she's going to quit her job with that company or if she's going to return to New York for another year."

"Let's play a little game of what if," Kathryn said with a small smile. "Let's talk about if she doesn't go back to New York. Are you going to see her?"

"I want to."

"But?"

Regina shook her head. "I'm scared," she admitted. "Thinking about seeing her scares me, Kathryn. Spending time with her family is one thing, but her?" Regina inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. "I think I'm scared because if I see her, I won't ever want to spend another day without her. We've had such horrible luck in trying to see one another and what if that continues to be that way?"

"Then I think you have to find a way to make sure that doesn't happen."

"How?"

"We'll find a way," Kathryn promised. "No matter what, we will figure it out."

[X]

Emma paced in her hotel room that had been home for the last four months. She had already packed up her suitcase and the additional one she had to buy because of the dozens of new outfits she'd bought in LA. Her assignment hadn't been what she thought it would be, but she was working and making new connections with all sorts of people every single day. She met celebrities, agents, musicians, and she even met some other up-and-coming photographers who gave her the right contacts for when she was ready to begin the next phase in her career doing freelance.

Killian Jones had been nothing but a thorn in her side since they had arrived. Maria had been right about him, but Emma warded off his advances and avoided him outside of work like the plague. She had nearly quit a handful of times, especially in the first three weeks they'd been in California, but she stuck with the job, doing what she did best.

Every night she called Henry just before he was put to bed and her heart ached to hear his voice, to hear him tell her how much he missed her and how much he loved her every single day. She would speak with her mother after Henry had fallen asleep and sometimes she would even speak with her father before she called Regina.

She knew that before Regina had left to go back home for the summer break, she had made the trip to Tallahassee a handful of times and that she'd spent some time with Henry. It hurt a little because it seemed like she would be the very last person to ever come face-to-face with Regina, but hearing Henry talk about her after those few times she'd been there with him, it made it hurt just a little less.

They never talked about their feelings for one another, the subject becoming one they both seemed to avoid completely. Emma knew how she felt about Regina and she knew that she was in love with her. She also knew that Regina felt the same, even if she hadn't said it aside from the few times they had ended a phone call with those three little words.

A knock on her hotel room door made her jump and she answered it quickly, a disappointing frown sliding into place when she found Killian Jones waiting on the other side.

"Can I help you?"

"Can I come in?" He asked and she shook her head no. "Then perhaps you can explain to me why you changed your flight?"

"I need to go to Tallahassee to get my son," Emma said tightly. "Mrs. Cameron knows and she—"

"She's okay with that?"

"Yes."

"You are well aware of the deadlines coming up tomorrow, aren't you?" Killian asked and Emma grimaced before nodding her head. "You need to be at the office. You cannot just go off to—"

"You know what?" Emma had enough. That was her breaking point. "I'm done."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm done, Killian. I quit."

"You can't quit," he said lowly. "You are under contract. You—"

"I can and I just did," she snapped. "I'll have my resignation letter on Mrs. Cameron's desk by Tuesday."

"What is this all about?" Mrs. Cameron asked as she strolled down the hall and came to a sudden stop, snapping at the concierge that had her luggage on a trolley. "Ms. Swan?"

"She quit," Killian said pointedly.

"Ah," the woman sighed and she pushed Killian away from the door to stand in front of Emma. As intimidating as the woman could be, she was also sympathetic and understanding at times. "What is this all about, Ms. Swan? Are you not happy with the company or is it Mr. Jones here that has driven you to make this decision?"

"It's not that I'm not happy, Mrs. Cameron, but I haven't seen my son since May and it's been hard being apart from him for that long," Emma said quietly and she cleared her throat, forcing herself to stand tall and confident. "I took this job because it allowed me to help my parents pay off my baby brother's medical bills. I took this job for the experience, professional and otherwise, and not that I am being ungrateful, I just feel like I need a change. I need to spend more time with my son. Mr. Jones here isn't the problem, but I think in the future, you need to explain to him exactly what harassment means."

"Excuse me?" Killian barked. "I have no idea what she is implying, Mrs. Cameron—"

"Enough," she snapped at him before turning to Emma. "You are a great asset to the company, Ms. Swan, but I do understand where you are coming from. I accept your verbal resignation. I'll give you a week to move out of the apartment and gather your things from the office. In the future, shall you need a recommendation, do feel free to have whomever contact me. I will, however, be in contact with you about some freelance work."

"Thank you, Mrs. Cameron."

"She can't just quit!" Killian exclaimed and Emma gasped when the woman in front of her turned and slapped him hard against the face. "Mrs. Cameron, what—"

"I am going to deal with _you_ upon our return to New York City," she said lowly. "Don't think for one moment that I am not fully aware of your liaisons with several women, some of whom no longer work for us. You will be dealt with, Mr. Jones, and you are not going to like what is coming next."

Emma had to force herself not to grin at how distraught the man was as he stormed off down the hall and stepped into his room. Mrs. Cameron gave her a curt nod before snapping her fingers at the concierge to follow her down the hall to the elevators. Emma closed the door to her room, exhaling hard as her heart raced in her chest.

It wasn't exactly what she had planned as she was going to wait until she was back in New York City next week, but it was done. She wanted to call her mother, to tell her that she had quit and that she was coming home for good. She wanted to call Regina, to tell her what had happened, but she never got the chance to make either phone call. She was called down to the lobby, informed by the front desk that her driver had arrived to take her to the airport. She checked the room one last time before she carried both of her suitcases and her camera bag out of the room and down to the elevator at the end of the hallway.

After she formally checked herself out of the hotel, the driver loaded up the trunk with her things and drove her to the airport. While she would miss LA and many things about it, she was mostly just focused on returning home to Tallahassee to her son. Her parents didn't even know she was flying out that morning as she had changed her flight at the very last minute. Her intention was to surprise them all by showing up at the front door right around dinnertime if the flight went smoothly and was on time.

She called Ruby after she had gone through security and checked her luggage in. While she and Ruby had broken up nearly a year ago, they had remained friends. She hadn't even told her mother what had happened between her and Ruby until after she and Henry had moved to New York City in January. Her phone call to Ruby was kept short, but she asked her not to ruin her surprise. She did need someone to pick her up from the airport and Ruby promised her she'd be there and she promised that she wouldn't say a word to her parents either.

Nearly six hours later, she was home. It took her nearly an hour to get her luggage and get through the airport, but by the time she stepped outside and called Ruby again, she was exhausted, the flight having drained her completely.

"Hey," Ruby said as she pulled up in her car in front of where Emma was waiting not long after she had called her. "Need a hand?"

"I got it, thanks," Emma said and she dragged her luggage to the trunk when Ruby popped it open. "Thanks for coming, Ruby."

"It's no big deal," she smiled and she turned the radio down low as she pulled away from the curb. "So, how was California?"

"It was…interesting," Emma replied. "I quit."

"You quit?" Ruby did a double take. "Why?"

"A lot of little reasons," she shrugged. "How have you been?"

"All right," Ruby said and Emma knew she was trying not to talk about Belle French at all, that still being a sore subject between the two of them. "So, you quit your job and now what? Are you moving back home?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm moving back. I still need to go back to New York, pack up the apartment and everything."

"You also need to find a place of your own," Ruby pointed out. "I doubt you'll want to share your room with your little brother and Henry."

"Yeah, that's definitely going to be too tight," Emma chuckled. "It'll be okay for now."

"If you need some help finding a place, just let me know."

"Thanks Ruby."

The drive from the airport to the Swan house went by slowly. The anticipation of seeing her son, of holding him in her arms for the first time in four months was making her anxious and impatient. Ruby pulled up into the driveway, coming to a stop behind her father's truck. Emma took a few deep breaths before she got out of the car.

Ruby got out and helped her carry her luggage to the front door and after Emma thanked her for picking her up and gave her a hug goodbye, she waited until Ruby had pulled away before she lifted a hand and knocked on the door three times.

"David!" She heard her mother call out from inside. "Someone is at the door! Dinner is almost ready!"

Emma casually slipped her hands into the back pockets of her tight jeans and smiled as she waited for her father to open the door. When the door finally did open a minute later, Emma laughed at the shocked expression on his face and then sank into the tight hug that followed a second later.

"Hi Dad."

"Hi Em," he whispered against the side of her head. "Go around to the back and surprise your mother," he said and Emma laughed quietly. "Go on. I'll take care of your things and bring them inside."

Emma shook her head and snuck around to the back of the house. The back door was open and she slipped inside, holding a finger up to her lips when Henry spotted her. He squirmed in his chair and stopped when Mary Margaret scolded him.

"Sit still, Henry. I'll get you your plate in a minute, okay?"

"Okay Gammy."

Emma moved quietly up behind her mother as she fumbled with the bib, trying to get it on Nathan before he started grabbing at the bowl of mashed potatoes in front of him. Emma bit her bottom lip, trying not to laugh or make a sound and Henry squirmed in his seat, trying to stay quiet.

"Nathan, please sit still. Do you see how Henry is sitting still? I need you to—oh my god!" Mary Margaret screeched as Emma wrapped her arms around her tightly and spun her around. "Emma! What on earth are you doing here? You scared me! Damn it, Emma!"

"Dad put me up to it," Emma chuckled and she let her mother down and exhaled sharply as her mother wrapped her arms around her tightly. "I missed you too, Mom."

When her mother let her go, she went to pick up her son, peppering his face in a million kisses. She almost started crying just holding on to her son for the first time in four long months, but she held herself together well. She sat Henry back down in his chair on the little booster seat and knelt over to pay the same attention to her baby brother, who just happened to be a lot more interested in eating his mashed potatoes with his hands than anything else.

She had missed family dinners, just the five of them sitting around the table. Nathan was a messy eater, and no matter what Mary Margaret did, he refused to try and use a fork to eat his food, wanting to use only his hands. Henry, Emma noticed, had developed much better table manners in the time since she had been gone.

"Regina," her mother said quietly. "The few times she was here, she showed him how to sit up straight, how to hold his fork, she even had him saying "excuse me" if he burped. I don't know how she did it, but it stuck with him."

"Yeah, I can see that," Emma smiled and she draped an arm over the back of his chair.

"She needs to come back around and teach Nathan some manners," Mary Margaret chuckled softly. "Though, to be fair, he's not quite one yet."

"He'll get there," Emma smiled at her. "Um, there's something I need to talk to you guys about and it's kind of big actually, but I quit my job before I flew out of LA."

"You what?" David asked in surprise.

"Oh sweetie, what happened?"

"It's just…I've had enough. Even in New York, they had me working such long hours and I didn't get to spend as much time with Henry as I would've liked to. Yeah, I could bring him along on most assignments, but I think after the last four months, I just don't ever want to do that again," she sighed. "I parted on good terms with Mrs. Cameron. She told me to use her as a reference if I needed to. I made a lot of contacts in LA, you guys, more than enough that I can find decent work that won't start out as a 9 to 5 and turn into a ten hours a day at the office, seven days a week."

"What will you do now?"

"I'm not sure, Mom, but I do want to move back home. Not here," she said quickly. "There is definitely not enough room for all of us here, but I was hoping to find someplace nearby for me and Henry."

"Yeah?" Mary Margaret was overwhelmed with joy and emotion. "You are moving back home?"

"Yeah, Mom, we are."

"Do you need to stay here until you find a place?" Mary Margaret asked. "It's going to be tight, but I think the boys can share the bedroom. We got a new couch, it pulls out, and it's pretty comfortable, isn't it, David?"

"Yeah," he muttered under his breath. "Comfortable."

"Wait, why are you sleeping on the couch, Dad?" Emma asked. "Are you two fighting?"

From the annoyed look her mother shot him from across the table, Emma didn't need to hear the "yes" that silently fell past her lips. She frowned and ran her hand over the back of Henry's head. She wanted to ask them what they were fighting about since they never had fights bad enough for her father to be sleeping on the couch, but she couldn't ask that in front of the boys.

After they finished dinner, David took the boys into the living room and Emma helped her mother with the dishes. It was then that she got the whole story from her about why they had been fighting lately. A lot of it had to do with money and not just with Nathan's hospital bills. Things were awfully tight even though Emma sent more than enough to cover the monthly bills that came in and to cover the cost it would be to feed Henry. It was more to it than that, they hadn't had much time alone at all and her mother was very clear that it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Henry had been there for the last four months.

"You guys never went away on Valentine's Day, did you?"

"Sweetie, that was months ago."

"No, it doesn't matter. You guys have always gone away and you didn't this year. You need to go away for the weekend."

"What about Nathan?"

"I'm home now," Emma replied. "I can watch him for a weekend."

"I don't know, sweetie."

"Mom," Emma said and she stopped her from picking up another dish to scrub in the sink. "You guys need to go away for a weekend alone. Let me watch Nate. Go away this weekend, I know it's the long weekend, but Dad isn't working Monday and you guys can have that extra day to yourselves."

"Where would we go?" Mary Margaret asked quietly. "I'm certain that everything within a hundred miles has already been booked for the weekend."

"You just leave that all up to me, okay?" Emma smiled and she hugged her mother tightly. "It'll be good for you two. Maybe you won't fight anymore like you have been after this weekend."

"Are you sure you can look after Nathan?"

"Mom, I'm sure. I got this and you and dad need this."

"Okay," she sighed heavily. "I'll talk to him after we finish the dishes. So, tell me more about how this whole thing went down this morning. What exactly did you say when you told your boss that you quit?"

"Well…"

[X]

Regina rode through the fields on the back of the black stallion, Ash, loving the feeling of the wind whipping through her short hair and the rush of adrenaline that came on stronger whenever the horse picked up speed. She had spent the last few weeks in Storybrooke after returning from New Haven, taking up riding daily in the afternoons, pushing herself and the stallion to its physical limitations.

She pulled on the reins and led the horse back to the stables, exhaling sharply when she dismounted and led him into his stall. After she brushed him and cleaned his hooves, a job that Sean normally did, but one that she particularly found calming, she headed inside to wash up before she was expecting Kathryn, Frederick, and her mother for dinner.

She had been in a better place after the trip to New Haven and the memorial service. She had been happier, not as happy as she once had been, but she was getting back there, piece by piece. She spent some days down at the hospital, chatting with Dr. Victor Whale there when he wasn't too busy and she volunteered her time in the children's wing, reading them stories and playing with them when they didn't have any visitors that day.

Her relationship with her mother had changed and while it had changed over the years, it changed a lot more in the last few weeks since she returned from New Haven. While Cora was still her usual self, she showed a much more caring side, a side that Regina had hardly seen at all since she was a young child. They spent some afternoons together out in the garden at the farm, tending to the plants and vegetables in anticipation of the fall harvest that Regina wouldn't be there for.

She had picked some of the tomatoes that were ripe earlier in the day, along with some green beans and some herbs from the garden. She was in the middle of peeling potatoes when Kathryn and Frederick showed up. They had brought along an apple crumble pie for dessert and after Frederick helped himself to a cold beer out of the fridge, Regina and Kathryn continued prepping the potatoes.

"So, we were thinking about driving up to the border this weekend," Kathryn said. "Do you want to come with us?"

"With you and Fred?" Regina asked. "Don't you two want some time alone?"

"When is the last time you came up to the cabin up there?"

"I cannot remember, possibly freshman year in high school when we used to go with your father," Regina replied. "As much as I would love to, Kathryn, I was planning on flying down to Florida to look for a place off-campus on Saturday. As much as I loved rooming with Charlie, I miss having space to myself."

"You are cutting it a bit close, aren't you?"

"I've already spoken with a few landlords who rent out to students. There a few houses available to rent still," Regina said and she put the pot of water and peeled potatoes on the stove and turned on the burner. "I was also thinking of driving down there this time. It'd be nice to have a vehicle and not have to rely on a cab or others."

"Of course."

Regina didn't have to say the real reason why she wanted her car with her this time around and that was to go and visit Emma's parents once or twice a month. She had become friends with Mary Margaret in a sense. She had enjoyed the time she had spent visiting her and the baby. She had enjoyed the little time she had spent while Henry had been there as well and she had an almost instant connection with the four-year-old boy.

"Are you hoping to head down there early?" Kathryn asked as they both prepared the fresh garden salad, chopping up the homegrown tomatoes and other ingredients that Regina had bought at the store that day before. "It's just that Fred and I found a place in Boston and I was hoping to spend some time with you. We're going to stay there until the end of the year before we move back here before the baby is born."

"That's wonderful, Kat."

"Yeah," she smiled. "We actually didn't hear about the apartment until this morning. We'll have to stay in a motel for a week and a half until we get the keys on October first."

"That's not too bad."

"No definitely not, especially since I really don't want to be stuck in a dorm room, pregnant, and surrounded by a bunch of drunk people half the week. That, and it's been really hard being away from Fred so much. We're going to make it work, one way or another. He's looking to get a supply teacher job, but there's no guarantee so he's pretty much willing to do anything for work for now."

"You two are going to be fine," Regina smiled just as she heard her mother call out her name from the front door. "If she gets into the cider today, I'll need you and Fred to drive her home because there is no way I am spending a night with my mother while she's drunk."

"Of course," Kathryn chuckled. "Hello Cora."

"Kathryn," Cora said as she strolled into the kitchen and placed the casserole dish she'd brought along on the counter before giving Kathryn a tight hug. "How are you feeling?"

"Wonderful, you?"

"I'm afraid the roast chicken turned out a little dry," Cora said as she nodded towards the dish she'd brought along. "Regina, grab some olive oil and some of those herbs from the garden. I can fix this up to be somewhat edible in no time."

Dinner went surprisingly smoothly and the four of them ended up sitting out in the back by the fire pit later on in the evening. Of course, Cora had gotten into the cider and convinced Frederick to join her in having a glass. One glass became two and two quickly became three, then four, and then Kathryn had to cut him off before he passed out in the lawn chair by the small bonfire they'd built.

By the time they left, Regina was feeling a little buzzed, but she wasn't tired enough to crawl into bed and call it a night. She finished cleaning up downstairs in the kitchen, poured herself a glass of wine, and went to sit out on the front porch. She called Emma's cell phone, knowing she had flown home that morning and she was smiling when she heard Emma's voice when she picked up on the second ring.

"Hey," Emma sighed into the phone. "I was just about to call you."

"How was your flight?"

"Good, long, but good," Emma replied. "I'm not in New York. I—I flew out to Tallahassee. In fact, I have some news."

"Good news?"

"Yeah, yeah I guess you could call it good news," she laughed quietly. "I quit my job today."

"What? Why?"

"I was just done," Emma replied. "Plus I don't know, it was good while it lasted and as you know, I made some contacts out in LA. I can do some freelance work to pay the bills and help my parents out with the hospital bills from when Nathan was born. We're going to move back to Tallahassee and I'm going to find a place for me and Henry."

"You're staying in Tallahassee?" Regina asked and she swore she felt her heart skip a couple of beats. "Really?"

"Yeah, crazy right?" Emma chuckled lightly. "I guess we'll be able to hang out once you move back down here for school."

"That would be wonderful."

"When are you planning on coming down?" Emma asked and if Regina wasn't mistaken, she could hear a hint of nervousness in Emma's voice.

"I'm actually flying down this Saturday to look at a few houses."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I was thinking that maybe you and Henry could come and visit sometimes, maybe even stay a weekend here and there?" Regina said quietly and she bit her bottom lip, waiting for Emma to respond. "You don't have to, but it would be nice if—"

"That would be pretty awesome," Emma replied. "You know, whatever you said to Henry really stuck. His table manners are amazing now."

"He's young still and anything taught at this age is more than likely to stick with him throughout his life."

"Whatever you did, whatever you said to him, thank you."

They talked for a little while longer about Emma's plans to move back home and while Regina was planning on flying down to Gainesville on Saturday to look at some of the houses she'd called about, she wasn't entirely sure if she'd have time to make the trip to Tallahassee to see Emma before she returned to Maine late on Sunday afternoon. She decided not to mention it to Emma, not wanting to get her hopes up or jinx it as it had happened in the past.

They talked for hours until Emma's cell phone was about to die. As they had been doing for a few months almost every night they spoke, they wished one another a good night and ended it with those three little words.

It was past midnight before Regina had settled in to bed, but not until after she'd read through some of the first letters that Emma had sent to her. She was amazed at how much had changed in seven years, how much Emma had changed, how much she had changed, along with the world all around them both. She fell asleep that night with thoughts of Emma, of Henry, of how different their lives would be in less than a month.

The next morning, she received a few phone calls from the landlords she had spoken to earlier in the week, cancelling her viewing appointment because they had either already rented the place out to someone who had been able to see it before her or because it was the long weekend. She was disappointed, but with a few of them, she managed to reschedule a viewing appointment, the earliest on Tuesday.

A few more phone calls later and Regina had rescheduled her flight out of Boston to Gainesville for Tuesday morning at eight. One more phone call after that was made, and she was packing her bags and waiting for Kathryn and Frederick to come around to pick her up so she could spend the weekend with them up north near the border at the Nolan cabin.

Shortly before Kathryn and Frederick showed up, Regina called Emma to let her know she would be unreachable until Monday early in the afternoon. Emma sounded a little disappointed they'd go a few days without speaking, but Regina promised she'd make it up to her one way or another upon her return home.

[X]

Emma collapsed on the couch in the living room that had doubled as her bed for the last four nights. While she could've slept in her parents' bed while they were gone off on their spontaneous trip out to Panama City Beach for the long weekend, but she found it a little weird to sleep in their bed.

It was one thing to raise Henry and look after him when he was still a baby—she'd had her parents around to help her and Ruby too when he was Nathan's age, but it was a whole other ballgame with a nearly year old baby and a rambunctious four year old running around the house. She had only just barely gotten Nathan to sleep just before eight and had worn Henry out with the help of August, chasing him around the front yard until he could barely keep his eyes open.

Her parents would be back home the next day. She had a flight to New York City on Tuesday morning, early, and would be there for three days packing up the apartment and getting her things from the office she'd left behind. Henry would be staying behind while she took care of things in New York since it would be easier for her to pack up their apartment without having to tell him a hundred thousand times to stop pulling out all the toys she just packed. They'd gone through that before they made the move and she wasn't willing to go through that again.

"Hey," August said as he entered the house. "Feeling up to some company?"

"Not really," Emma sighed, but she didn't tell him to leave, not when she saw the six-pack of beer he'd brought along. "I swear, I am never having any more kids."

"Tired?" He chuckled and he cracked open one of the can's and handed it to her before setting down on the chair her father normally sat in. "They'll be back tomorrow."

"I know. They truly needed this," she replied and she took a sip of the slightly warm beer and pulled a face. "Did you even put these in the fridge, Booth?"

He laughed and shook his head no. "Just came from the store actually," he replied and he got up from the chair with a grunt, taking the four beers left in the six-pack into the kitchen to put them in the fridge. "You get Henry to bed all right?"

"Yeah, now I just gotta hope that Nathan doesn't wake up in the middle of the night and wake Henry up too. I never had this much problem with Hen when he was that young."

"Here's hoping," August said, clinking his can against Emma's before they both took a sip of the warmish beer. "So, you're heading to New York in a few days?"

"Yeah. Just me. It'll be easier for me to pack up the apartment without Henry there."

August talked to her about his upcoming book deal, how there were a few little kinks to work out with his publisher and editor before it could be printed. Emma had to admit she missed August more than she had realized and while she hadn't known the man that well when she was younger, after she'd had Henry, he'd become a close friend of hers despite their age difference.

They hung out for a while, finishing off the beers he'd brought around before he called it a night and Emma pulled the sofa bed out and threw on the sheets. She started to think about Regina, about seeing her once Regina came back to Florida for school. She started to think about how much their friendship had started to change, to evolve into something more, something Emma wasn't quite sure how to put a name to just yet.

Her fantasies of Regina, especially those that came late at night when she couldn't sleep, had been growing extremely hotter, sometimes to the point where she had to pleasure herself just to get the fantasy out of mind and give her body the release it was craving. There had been one night in particular, one night she'd had a bit too much to drink and it was clear that Regina had too from the slur in her voice as they spoke. It was a night they didn't speak about afterwards, but one that Emma remembered clearly. She had masturbated to Regina's voice and had been caught by her, and then encouraged to keep going by the most delicious purr of her name falling past Regina's lips.

Emma bit her bottom lip, remembering each little vivid detail until her body started to throb with want and need. She wanted to call Regina, but she wouldn't be back in Storybrooke until the next day. She wanted to hear her voice, the deep huskiness of it that it took on when she was tired and half-awake. She only had to remind herself that soon enough, she'd be able to be with Regina, that they'd be able to spend time together instead of always just talking over the phone or sending emails back and forth, though it had been months since they'd even done that.

Sleep was restless for her that night and Nathan crying in his crib and Henry fussing waked her up at promptly seven in the morning. She picked her chubby baby brother out of his crib and soothed his tears by rocking him gently in her arms. She knew he didn't know who she was, but they had bonded over the weekend and he calmed down rather quickly. After a quick diaper change, she had both boys down in the kitchen and the coffee on.

She turned on the radio and got Henry a bowl of cheerios in some milk and some dry cheerios for Nathan before she poured her first cup of coffee. She sat at the table between the two boys; alternating her attention between them both, from helping Henry hold his spoon properly to picking off bits of cheerios that stuck to Nathan's cheeks and chin.

It amazed her just how much Nathan had grown in the time she'd been in LA. He looked so much like Henry did when he was that age aside from the blonde hair and the blue eyes. Of course, Henry took after his father in some little ways, with the dark brown hair and the shape of his eyes, something she could see in him more and more as the years went by. Nathan looked a lot like their father, but she remembered her mother recalling many times that Nathan looked a lot like she did when she was a baby too.

"Mama?" Henry whispered when he'd finished his cereal. "I don't feel good."

"You don't feel good?" Emma frowned and she reached out to press the back of her hand to his forehead and then his cheeks. He was a little warm. "Does your tummy hurt?"

Henry nodded with a pout jutting out of his lips and she picked him up and sat him on her lap, rocking him gently as she stroked the back of his head. "I missed you, Mama."

"I know," she whispered against the top of his head. "I missed you too. After I go back to New York tomorrow for a few days, we're going to stay here, okay?"

"Forever?"

"Maybe," Emma smiled down at him. "Would you like that?"

"Yeah," Henry nodded. "Stay here with Nate and Gammy and Gramps."

"And me?"

Henry giggled softly. "Yeah. And Gina too?"

"I don't know, kid."

"I like Gina," he sighed and he turned his head to look up at her. "She's pretty."

"I know," she smiled down at him. "I like her too."

"I miss her too."

"You'll see her soon, kid. She'll be back for school and we'll get to see her."

"Every day?"

"No," Emma said quietly. "Not every day."

"Oh."

"Maybe we can see her every weekend," Emma mused and she saw the way that Henry's hazel eyes lit up. "We'll have to see what happens. She'll be very busy with school once she comes back. You know that, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Hey, how about we get dressed and I'll take you and Nate to the park today?" She asked and Henry shook his head no before burying his face into her chest. "You don't want to go to the park today?"

"I don't feel good, Mama."

Emma sighed and continued to rock him gently, alternating between stroking the back of his head and rubbing down his back. He'd be starting school in two weeks, almost a month behind the rest of the school age children since he would only be in junior kindergarten. It would be half days, just the mornings, for two months, before full days would become more of a regular thing. She hadn't talked to him about it yet, but she knew her mother had been preparing him for his first day of school throughout the summer.

Just thinking about him already being in school had her feeling rather emotional about it all. It seemed like just yesterday he was Nathan's age. Emma knew in that very moment just how her own parents felt as she had grown up, that kids truly did grow up too fast sometimes.

Emma put Henry back to bed after she gave him some children's Tylenol to keep his mild fever from getting any worse. After she dressed and cleaned up from breakfast, she took Nathan out into the backyard to play, letting him roam around on the grass while she alternated between taking sips of her coffee and snapping a few pictures of him as he explored the yard, crawling on his hands and knees.

Regina called her just after lunch, just after she had put Nathan down and woke Henry up to feed him some chicken broth and crackers before putting him in the living room in front of the TV with one of his favorite cartoons on. She listened to Regina talk about her weekend away with Kathryn and Fred, about how it was one disaster after another at the old cabin. From plumbing issues of no running water and the toilet backing up, to the electricity failing and their food spoiling overnight as they'd slept, to the bears that had stalked them while they'd been out fishing the day before, to Kathryn and Fred fighting on the five hour drive back to Storybrooke.

A flood of disappoint filled her when Regina told her she was going to be flying down to Gainesville on Tuesday to look at a couple of rentals. She could hear the disappointment in Regina's voice when she told her she was flying up to New York City that very same morning. Things went quiet between them for a little while and Emma shook her head and laughed quietly.

"What's so funny?"

"Us, our timing," she replied. "Hopefully this doesn't keep happening. It's like fate or something is keeping us from finally seeing one another."

"Perhaps," Regina sighed. "Our timing hasn't been on our side this year, has it?"

"Not at all."

"I doubt its fate," Regina replied with a soft chuckle. "If anything, fate brought us together, didn't it?"

"Is that what we are?" Emma asked in a whisper. "Together, Regina?"

"In some ways, I suppose we are," she replied just as quietly. "Emma, I—"

"Shit," Emma groaned as Nathan started crying and then started wailing at the top of his lungs. "See, timing sucks."

She heard Regina chuckle, but it was laced with bitter disappointment. "I'll let you go and take care of your little brother. Will you call me later?"

"Of course," Emma replied as she headed up the stairs. "Oh you've got to be kidding me."

"What happened?"

Emma frowned as she looked at her baby brother, covered in puke and tears streaming down his red chubby cheeks. "Looks like Henry isn't the only one not feeling good today. Nate just threw up all over the crib and himself."

"Oh my."

"I'll call you later, after my parents get home, all right?"

"Of course," Regina replied. "I love you."

"Love you too," Emma said quickly before she snapped her cell phone shut and tossed it on the unmade bed. "Oh Nate, poor baby," she frowned, picking him up and carried him into the bathroom. "Are you not feeling good either?"

She ran the water in the bath and stripped him out of his light onesie. She gave him a quick bath, keeping a close eye on him as she stripped out of her clothes and down to her sports bra and underwear. She called August over once she had Nathan dressed in a clean onesie and downstairs in the playpen. The moment she saw August heading up the front walkway, she made a mad dash for the stairs before he even entered the house.

"August!" Henry squealed happily and the giggles that followed made Emma smile just a little bit in relief.

It took her almost ten minutes to strip the crib, wipe everything down, and make it with clean sheets. She pulled on an old tattered terrycloth robe and carried the sheets, her clothes and Nathan's stained onesie down into the laundry room and put a load on before promising August she wouldn't be long in the shower.

August stuck around for the afternoon and around four, Ruby called and asked if they were feeling up to having a barbecue at the house. It was Ruby's not-so-subtle way of asking her if she could come over and after Emma checked the freezer to make sure they had more than enough frozen hamburger patties and the pantry for some buns, she told Ruby to come over and stupidly said it was all right if Belle came along too.

Emma expected her parents to be home by six, that was the initial plan, but as six o'clock came and went, they still hadn't arrived at home. Since neither of them had a cell phone, there was no way for her to get in touch with them, but she did call the motel they'd stayed at in Panama City Beach to confirm they'd checked out at one that afternoon.

August told her not to worry, that maybe they'd decided to stop somewhere for dinner before coming home. Ruby had brought around a couple bottles of red wine, and by Emma's third glass while the boys played in the living room and the adults stayed in the kitchen to drink, she found it a little bit less awkward to be around Ruby's girlfriend. The woman was shy and soft spoken at first, but once she'd had a couple of glasses of wine, she too seemed to be more at ease.

As the evening grew later, Emma grew increasingly worried about her parents and despite August and Ruby trying to come up with excuses for them, the worry just seemed to grow and it made her mood shift drastically. By ten that night, with the boys long since in bed and fast asleep, Emma called a cab for Ruby and Belle, and August stuck around, hanging out on the couch with her as they watched TV and waited for her parents to return home.

"So, that was the girl?" August asked and Emma sighed and nodded her head. "She chose her over you?"

"August—"

"I know it's been a year now, but that girl has nothing on you. She's awfully plain, isn't she?"

"I guess."

August shifted on the couch and exhaled slowly. "It's good you two are still friends."

"We only dated for a few months, August. We were friends before that happened."

"Still."

"I don't want to talk about Ruby and Belle," Emma sighed and she checked the clock for the umpteenth time. "Where are they, August? They were supposed to be home at six. It's almost ten-thirty."

"I don't know," he frowned and he ran a hand through his dark copper colored hair with a heavy sigh. "Do you want me to stay until they come home?"

"It's getting late."

"You also have a flight to catch in the morning, Em," he reminded her. "You need to get some sleep."

"I can sleep on the plane and when I get to the apartment."

August got up to get another beer, the last one in the fridge that he'd brought over earlier. Emma flipped through the channels on the television, sighing in annoyance when she couldn't find anything halfway decent to watch. He'd barely sat back down on the couch when three knocks sounded on the front door. Emma looked at him curiously before she got up and looked out the front window, her eyes widening when she saw a highway patrol cruiser parked out front and two officers standing on the front porch.

"Who is it?"

"The cops," Emma replied and she felt a lump form in her throat she couldn't swallow. She approached the door slowly and unlocked it, pulling it open to face the two officers who stood on the front porch. "Can I help you, officers?"

"Emma Swan?"

"Yes?"

The heavier set one looked at his partner before he cleared his throat. The look on his face was somber. "A couple of hours ago, we responded to a call out on the Blountstown Highway. There was a drunk driver and I—I'm afraid your parents' vehicle was struck."

"What?"

"It was instant," he continued as Emma's ears began to ring loudly and his voice began to fade out. "The driver hit them head on…"

Emma's vision spun and it was August, she was sure of it, who steadied her on her feet from behind before the whole world around her faded to black.


	7. Chapter 7

**Part VII**

Regina made her way through the busy airport with only a carry-on bag for her brief trip down to Florida. Her return flight was for Wednesday night, but originally she had planned to stay until Friday until she learned that Emma would be in New York City during that time. It was a bit of a disappointment and she had to let it go because by the end of that month, she'd be back in Gainesville for school and Emma would permanently be living in Tallahassee again.

She grabbed a tall mocha from Starbucks and found her gate with about an hour to spare. She felt fidgety and found it hard to sit down in the rows of chairs by the gate, so she wandered past the shops, browsing aimlessly amongst the many items each shop had. She had brought Henry and Nathan souvenirs before, little trinkets or a t-shirt and that cute Boston Red Sox onesie for Nathan when he was about six months old.

She browsed through some more shops before heading back to her gate to wait for the call to board the plane. Throughout all the hustle and bustle, and the noise in the airport, she had barely heard her phone ringing before she fished it out of her purse and answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Regina?" A man said on the other line. "It's August. August Booth."

"Hello August, how are you?"

"I've been better. You?"

"I'm just at the airport. My flight is going to board in a short while," Regina replied and she scrunched her brow in confusion. "August, why are you calling me?"

"I got your number from Emma's phone," he replied and she strained to hear him over the noise. "I have something to tell you."

"What is it? Did something happen to Emma? Henry?"

She heard him take a deep breath and switched the phone from her left ear to the right while walking towards the washrooms along one wall. "Mary Margaret and David were in an accident last night," he said quietly, his voice strangled a little with emotion. "They were killed by a drunk driver."

"Oh no."

"I thought you would want to know," he continued. "Em isn't going to New York this morning. Uh, I'm taking her over to the funeral home later to make arrangements."

"Is there anything that I can do, August?"

"You're flying down to Gainesville, aren't you?"

"Yes, to look at some houses to rent, but I can absolutely make the trip to visit Emma."

"Would you?" August asked. "I—I think she needs that right now, to see you. I won't tell her you are coming, best keep it a surprise, a good surprise. She's in shock."

"Understandably so," Regina frowned and she could feel the tears prickling at her eyes, but she kept them at bay, not wanting to break down in the middle of a busy airport before her flight. "I'll see what I can do about getting up to Tallahassee by tonight. She'll be at the house?"

"I'll make sure."

"Thank you for letting me know, August."

They both hung up without another word and Regina headed over to the customer services desk to inquire about getting an open ended return ticket if they could provide her with one. Her quick trip down to Florida was about to become a lot longer than she had initially planned it to be. There was no way she could just return home, not without attending Mary Margaret and David's funeral and not without making sure that Emma was going to be okay.

She couldn't get an open return ticket, so she switched the one she had to Saturday evening instead. Five minutes before her flight was due to start boarding, she made a quick call to her mother to pass on the news of Emma's parents' tragic passing and to let her know not to expect her back in Storybrooke until Saturday evening.

Cora asked her to send along her condolences and didn't keep her on the phone for very much longer. Regina could barely hold back her tears by the time she boarded the plane. Her breaking point was when she couldn't fit her carry-on into the overhead compartment and she burst into tears until the flight attendant came over to help her.

"Is everything all right?" She asked in a soft voice as she took Regina's luggage from her.

"My—my girlfriend's parents just died," she sobbed and the flight attendant frowned and hoisted her luggage into the overhead compartment with ease. "Oh, I'm sorry, I—I don't meant to cause a scene."

"How about you take a seat and I'll bring you something to drink?"

"I—I—"

"What would you prefer? Something hard or something light?"

Regina sat down in her seat by the window and shook her head. "It doesn't matter," she muttered and the flight attendant just nodded, motioning that she would be right back. It hadn't hit her that she had referred to Emma as her girlfriend until she had been sitting in her seat for a good five minutes. "Oh."

The flight attendant returned with a small glass of rum and coke, not her favorite or something she'd willingly pick, but she thanked her and sipped it gingerly, waiting for the plane to taxi over to the runway and get ready for takeoff.

The plane was only half-full by the time it took off and Regina had the row to herself. She finished off her drink before the plane even took off and when the flight attendant offered her a second one, she politely declined.

The flight seemed much longer than three hours and when the plane landed, Regina could feel her emotions becoming highly unstable once again. She made her way through the small airport quickly, using her cell to call for a cab that was waiting for her by the time she made it outside. She had less than half an hour to get to the first house she was scheduled to view and she called the landlord to confirm that she was still lined up for a viewing.

She spent the cab ride going over the papers she'd need to apply for the rental if it was suitable enough for her needs. It was definitely well within her means when it came to price, but the location was a little far from campus. She would definitely need her car if she ended up renting that one. When the cab pulled up in front of the quaint little house with a white picket fence and gravel driveway, she immediately had gotten good vibes from the little grey house.

It took her mind off of Emma's parents for the short time that the landlord, a little old lady by the name of Eloise, showed her around the house. It had two bedrooms, a decent sized kitchen, and it came partially furnished, which was more than she expected and it hadn't been mentioned on the listing. The décor was a little too eccentric for her, but it wouldn't take much, she figured, to fix it up to suit her personal tastes.

"Well, dear?" The old woman asked as they stood by the front door. "Are you interested in renting the house?"

"It's nice," Regina smiled. "A little far from campus, but it's…perfect. This isn't a student rental, is it?"

"No it's not, dear, but when you mentioned you were studying medicine, I thought you'd be the acceptation. I don't normally rent to students. Bad experience many years ago."

"Um, do you have an application?" Regina asked and the woman nodded, bustling off towards the kitchen before she returned with a single page application. "Is anyone else looking at the house?"

"You are the first," Eloise responded as she clasped her hands in front of her. "You may fill it out now. I can wait."

"Do you happen to have a pen?"

It didn't take Regina long to fill out the short application and the woman promised to get back to her by the very next day once everything checked out. Since the cab driver had long since left, Regina called for another and waited for it on the curb since there weren't any sidewalks in that particular neighborhood.

While she waited for the cab to come pick her up to check out the second house closer to campus—which coincidentally was going to cost enough extra a month that she'd need to pick up a part-time job, it gave her time to soak in the quiet neighborhood and for a moment, she imagined the sound of Emma and her son's laughter as they played in the small front yard with one another. It also made her start to think about what was going to happen with her baby brother now that their parents were dead.

Tears filled her eyes, tears she quickly wiped away as the little old lady walked down the front path and shut the gate behind her. She looked up and down the street, frowning before continuing the action.

"Are you waiting for someone, Eloise?" Regina asked.

"Yes, my husband Herb. He said he was going to wait while I showed the house."

"Oh?" Regina hadn't seen anyone waiting outside when she had arrived and she knew she had seen the woman walking down the street alone in those few minutes she'd waited for her on the front porch. "Is Herb walking?"

"No, dear," she said with a shake of her head. "He has our trusty sedan. He should be here."

"Would you like me to wait with you?"

"I'm sure he'll be right along," Eloise replied with a wave of her hand. "That husband of mine has a mind of his own. It wanders, you see."

Regina smiled politely at the woman and she shifted her carry-on from one hand to the other. She checked her small silver watch on her left wrist and looked up and down the street for the cab she'd called, but the street was quiet and empty save for a few young children riding around on their bikes.

It was the type of neighborhood Regina knew was the perfect place to raise a young family. It felt safe, it felt homey, and the laughter from the children that came from down the street filled her with a mix of thoughts and hundreds of different emotions all at once.

Regina was about to call the cab company again when she saw one turn the corner at the far end of the street and make its way down past the children on the bike's slowly. The elderly woman sighed loudly and fumbled with her little grey purse.

"Do you need a ride somewhere, Eloise?" Regina asked and she shook her head sharply and tucked her grey purse under her arm. "Herb is coming?"

"Yes he is, dear. There he is now," she said as she pointed in the opposite direction the cab was coming from to an old blue Ford sedan. "I will call you tomorrow about the house, yes?"

"That would be wonderful. Thank you," Regina smiled at her. "Thank you for taking the time to show me the house, Eloise."

"You are quite welcome, dear. Regina, isn't it?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Regina Mills."

"Ellie!" The man behind the wheel of the sedan shouted as he pulled up to the curb.

"Herb, you don't need to yell," she scolded him. "Have a wonderful day, Regina."

"You too, Eloise."

The cab pulled up just as the woman got into the car, bickering with her husband who looked no less than frazzled at his wife. Regina watched as they drove off and the cab driver cleared his throat to get her attention.

"Where to, ma'am?"

"Um," Regina paused before she got into the backseat and placed her carry-on on the floor by her feet. "I need to find someplace to rent a car."

"Any old place?"

"Yes," she nodded. "It doesn't matter where as long as I can get a car within the hour."

"Somewhere you need to be?"

Regina sighed. "I doubt you're willing to drive to Tallahassee," she said quietly and the driver tipped his colorful shades down and raised an eyebrow. "How much will that cost me?"

"Seeing as I was hoping to drive out there today myself anyway, call it fifty even. Tank of gas, no tip needed. You look like you need to catch a break today."

"I can't accept that," Regina said and he held up a hand. "No really, I cannot. It's almost a three hour drive."

"Honey, let me take you to Tallahassee. I was planning to drive out there anyway after this fare. Pay it forward, yeah?"

Regina smiled sincerely and nodded, settling back in the seat as the driver pulled away from the curb and followed the blue sedan out of the neighborhood. Regina felt tense until they were on the interstate and heading out of Gainesville, the route all too familiar as she had made the trip nearly a dozen times just before the summer began. Thinking of all the times she'd made that trip to Tallahassee in a cheap rental car set her thoughts in motion to thinking about the tragedy that had just happened, to thinking about Emma and what she was going through, to feeling a pang in her heart when she thought about Nathan being far too young to remember his parents and just how amazingly wonderful they truly were.

When the tears came again, she didn't hold them back. She let them flow freely as soft Spanish pop music filled the cab and the driver sang along quietly as they cruised down the interstate. She sighed and leaned against the door, cranking down the window to let the breeze in and watched the world go by.

[X]

Emma felt as if she were on autopilot, moving around the kitchen while making sure Nathan and Henry were both fed and satisfied with their lunch. Neither of the boys were aware of what was going on, neither aware of the sudden tragedy that had struck their family out of nowhere and so very suddenly.

"Mama!" Henry whined when he spilt his milk and his peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich had fallen apart, the grape side of the bread having fallen to the floor.

Nathan had taken to slamming his sippy-cup against the tray of his high chair, over and over and over again until the lid broke off and his milk went absolutely everywhere. His crying babble turned to shrieking and Emma picked up the sippy-cup lid from where it had fallen on the floor, nearly grasping and ripping at her hair after she had thrown the lid into the sink full of dishes.

Emma released a low growl that silenced both of the boys almost immediately. She ran from the kitchen, tears burning in her eyes, and she ran out to the back yard, the back door slamming loud and hard against the side of the house. Mere seconds later, Nathan started to cry at the top of his lungs and Emma could only just faintly hear Henry crying too.

"Hey," August said as he leaned on the fence that separated their yards. "Is everything okay?" He asked and Emma shook her head no. "Do you need me to do anything?"

"I don't know."

"Need someone to watch the boys for the afternoon?" August offered and she sighed heavily and wrapped her arms around herself. "Let me take them over to the park at least for an hour, give you a little break."

"I got a call before I gave them lunch," Emma said quietly as she approached the fence.

"From who?"

"Someone at the coroner's office," she shook her head. "I—I need to—"

"Would you like me to help you with that?"

"August, I can't ask you to do that."

"You're not," he replied. "I'm offering."

"I—I don't even know where to start, August."

August came around to the gate and came into the backyard. He wrapped his arms around Emma tightly as she broke down into tears for the hundredth time that day. August took her back inside once the tears had mostly stopped flowing and he started to make some phone calls, promising her he'd help her take care of everything that would need to be done.

Emma tended to the boys and put them in the living room while she cleaned up the kitchen. She was on her knees, wiping up the tile where the grape stuck, when Ruby walked in after having been let into the house by August. Emma felt sick to her stomach as she looked up at Ruby, tears falling freely once again. Ruby sank to her knees and wrapped her arms around Emma, both of them rocking as they knelt on the kitchen floor.

"Em, tell me what I can do, please?"

"Is this even real?" Emma whimpered quietly. "I'm not having a really bad dream right now, am I?"

"Do you want me to tell the truth or lie to you?"

Emma shook her head and Ruby held on tighter. Emma sank into the comfort of Ruby's familiar embrace, but it wasn't what she needed in that very moment. She didn't even know what she needed, but she knew it wasn't that, but she didn't have the strength to push Ruby away from her.

"Hey," Ruby whispered as she leaned back and cupped Emma's face gently in her hands and she sniffed quietly, trying to stop the tears. "I'm so sorry, Em."

"I—"

"Gina!" Henry squealed from the living room and Emma looked at Ruby curiously.

"Did you call her?"

"No," she said with a soft shake of her head. "August called me. I'm guessing he called her too."

"I'm a mess."

"You look beautiful."

"I look terrible!" Emma said and she quickly tried to wipe at her tear stained cheeks before she picked herself up off the kitchen floor. When she heard Regina's voice, just faintly, as she spoke with a very excited Henry, Emma swallowed thickly. "She's really here, isn't she?"

Ruby nodded and tried to fix Emma's mess of hair. She moved her hands to Emma's shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze when they both heard August tell Regina that Emma was in the kitchen. Ruby stepped back and grabbed the jelly-stained cloth from Emma's tightly clutched hand, moving over to the sink to rinse it the very moment that Regina walked into the kitchen.

Emma felt like her breath was taken away the moment she looked at Regina for the first time that wasn't just a photograph of her. It felt like an eternity to be able to take the first step towards Regina and Emma smiled shyly as she ran a hand over her messy hair that was tied up into a loose bun. Regina returned the shy smile before she was the one to quickly close the distance between them.

The moment Regina's arms were around her, Emma let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding since she first laid her eyes on Regina. She sank into her embrace and it took mere seconds to realize that is what had been missing when Ruby had been holding her. She inhaled deeply, the familiar scent of Regina's perfume stronger than it was on all those paper flowers she had sent over the years, and then there was the sweet scent of just her.

"Hi," Regina whispered against her ear.

"Hi," Emma whispered back, holding on to her just a little tighter, not wanting to let go. She never wanted to let go. "What are you doing here?"

"Not happy to see me?"

"I am," Emma sighed when she felt Regina start to rub her back lightly. "I can't believe you're here."

Emma was grateful that Ruby quietly slipped out of the kitchen to give the two of them a moment alone. She relaxed against Regina, sinking more into their very first embrace. Despite all of her emotions in the wake of tragedy, she smiled. She had envisioned for years meeting Regina, seeing her for the very first time, imagining so many different scenarios and ways that they would finally come face to face for the first time, but as it was, she had never thought that her parents' tragic and sudden death would make that moment happen for them.

Tears slid down Emma's cheeks, falling to Regina's neck and shoulder, but still they did not part from their embrace. Regina continued to rub over her back soothingly as the tears continued to fall. It was Regina who leaned back just a little and Emma stared deep into her brown eyes and blinked past her tears to see her a little more clearly.

"Thank you for coming," Emma whispered and Regina smiled a small, tight smile before bringing up a hand to wipe delicately at the last lone tear that rolled down her cheek.

"August called me just before I boarded my flight," she replied. "I came as soon as I could. Is there anything I can do?"

Emma shook her head, her bottom lip trembling as she sunk back into Regina's warm embrace. "Just hold me?"

She felt Regina nod and tighten her hold around her once more. She closed her eyes and focused on taking deep, steady breaths. She focused on the way Regina felt in her arms, how warm her body was against her own, how soft her touch was as she rubbed soothingly over the middle of her back. She tried not to think about leaning back to look at her before leaning in for that first kiss. She tried not to think about how soft Regina's lips would be and how easily she knew she would become addicted to kissing her.

Now wasn't the time to be thinking about any of that. Emma exhaled shakily, her fingers grasping on to the back of Regina's crisp, white blouse. She pulled back when she felt a tug on the bottom of her grey sweatpants and she looked down at Henry with a wavering smile.

"Mama?" Henry whispered as he stretched his arms up and she stepped out of Regina's embrace to pick up her son. "Hi Gina."

"Hello Henry," Regina smiled at him as she pulled on her blouse, straightening it out.

"Why are you sad, Mama?" Henry asked as he placed a hand on her damp cheek. "Don't be sad. Gina is here now."

"Have you told him?" Regina asked in a hushed whisper and Emma shook her head no.

"No—not yet," she whispered back before kissing the side of Henry's head. "Hen, can you go back out and sit with Uncle August for a few minutes?"

"Okay," he said and he squirmed a little bit before she placed him on his feet and ruffled his hair.

Emma glanced down at herself, grimacing at the baby spit up on the sleeve of her ratty old t-shirt and noticing a few holes she hadn't noticed before at all. She frowned as she lifted her hands to her hair.

"I look terrible," she muttered under her breath. "Shit."

"You look beautiful," Regina replied, sending the same sentiments that Ruby had, but it had an entirely different effect on her hearing it from Regina. "Truly you do."

"I haven't showered," Emma said and Regina just shook her head. "You smell good, really good, and I smell like…not good and baby puke."

"It's fine, Emma."

"No, not it's not, Regina," she frowned deeply. "This isn't how we were supposed to—I look like fucking shit and you walk in here looking like a million bucks, which you know it isn't a bad thing, but this isn't how we were supposed to see each other for the first time."

"Emma—"

"I'm a wreck," she continued and her hands were shaking as she fought back the tears. "My parents just died and all I can think about right now is how much I want to kiss you and when I think about that, I feel so fucking guilty because I'm not supposed to want to do that. Not right now."

"You are allowed to feel however you feel right now," Regina said quietly and she took a step towards her, closing the distance between them. "It's okay, Emma, to feel that way, to want the things you want, and it is even okay to feel guilty for wanting something that makes you happy, something that makes you smile."

"I shouldn't want to be happy right now. My parents are dead, Regina."

"I know, my love," she whispered and she wrapped her arms around Emma tightly. "I'm so sorry. So very sorry."

"They didn't deserve to die that way," she sobbed as she nearly collapsed in Regina's arms. "They deserved to live a long, happy life, to watch Nathan grow up healthy and strong. They were supposed to be here for him. They were supposed to be there when we get married one day. They weren't supposed to fucking die, Regina, not now."

She trembled at the press of Regina's lips to her temple and she felt weak at the feel of Regina's lips against her cheek. She whimpered ever so quietly when Regina's lips fell just shy of her own and she turned her head that last little bit and brought their lips together. It wasn't at all what she imagined their first kiss to be like, but Regina's lips were soft and warm against her own in the few seconds the kiss lingered.

Regina parted first with a sigh, her breath falling over Emma's lips before she pressed their foreheads together. Emma clasped her hands together at the small of Regina's back, holding her close and she felt a small smile curl over her lips. She nuzzled Regina's nose lightly and she brought their lips together once more for a soft, slow, and sweet kiss.

A harsh pang of guilt flooded through her and it caused her stomach to twist into knots before she parted from the kiss with an apologetic sigh. "I—we shouldn't be doing this." Emma whispered. "Not now. Not today, at least."

"I understand. It's quite all right, my love."

Emma's heart skipped a beat at the softness of Regina's voice when she called her "my love" for a second time in a handful of minutes. "I—I should probably go shower."

"All right."

It took all of Emma's willpower and strength to pull out of Regina's warm embrace without kissing her once more. Regina followed her out into the living room and after she managed to half-mumble her way through the words to inform August she was heading upstairs to have a shower, she bolted up the stairs and into the bathroom, breathing hard as she slid the lock into place.

Everything seemed to catch up to her all at once, from the moment she first laid her eyes on Regina, to that first hug, that first kiss, not to mention that she realized what she had said to Regina when she'd been in the midst of nearly losing it.

 _They were supposed to be there when we get married one day._

"Fuck," Emma groaned as she knocked her the back of her head against the locked door. She didn't even realize what she'd been saying at the time, not as the grief and the guilt had suddenly taken over her. "You're such an idiot."

She recalled one conversation they'd had almost a month ago, one that came shortly before Regina went to New Haven for the memorial service held in honor of her husband and the other man who had lost their lives during that fire. Regina expressed her thoughts on ever getting married again; she didn't want to, was a plainly as she had put it. Emma knew she had been entirely insensitive, but Regina hadn't recoiled or snapped at her, she made the first move, kissing her several times before Emma had turned to kiss her back.

Emma looked into the mirror just over the sink and frowned. She was a mess, beyond a mess, and her hair had never looked that way before, resembling something worse than a rat's nest. Emma pulled at the hair tie, her frown turning into a grimace as hair snagged on the elastic until she managed to work it out without pulling a chunk of hair with it. She ripped off her clothes and turned on the shower, and it wasn't until she stepped under the water did she remember she had left her bag with her clothes down in the living room and that there were no clean towels in the bathroom.

"Fuck," she groaned as she leaned back under the hot spray of water, tears sliding out from her tightly closed eyes slowly.

Emma wasn't sure that morning how she was going to get through the rest of the day, but when Regina showed up, that had all changed in an instant. While she had felt lost and alone and without hope, Regina had somehow changed that from the very moment their eyes met to the very moment they held each other for the first time. She just hoped that whatever it was, whether it truly was Regina or something else entirely, that it got her through the next handful of days.

She'd just have to worry about what would come next until after the funeral…

[X]

It was quiet in the house for the first time since Regina arrived that afternoon. August had left after he helped clean up the kitchen. They had Chinese take-out they had picked up after she accompanied Emma and August to the funeral home so that Emma could make the proper arrangements for her parents. Regina wasn't even sure when Ruby had left, but it had been somewhere in between the time she had arrived, during that intimate first moment between her and Emma, and the time that they had emerged from the kitchen before Emma had bolted upstairs to shower, locking herself in there for nearly two hours.

It had been Henry dancing at the door with his legs crossed, almost on the verge of tears because he couldn't hold it that made Emma finally step out of the bathroom, clutching the clothes she'd had on before against her naked and wet body. Regina had flushed deeply and upon Emma's insistent urging to grab her a towel from the linen closet down the hall, it took a hell of a lot of willpower not to shove Emma up against the wall and take her right there.

"Are you staying?" Emma asked from the other end of the couch where they'd been sitting in almost silence together since August had left. "Regina?"

"Do you want me to?"

"It's getting late and it's a few hours to Gainesville and—and I'd offer to drive you, but I'd have to wake the boys up and I'm not exactly sober enough to drive."

Regina swallowed thickly and stared at the red wine that was left in her glass, barely a sip, and swirled it around slowly. "I have no idea where I am going to stay," she admitted quietly. "I missed the check-in at the hotel I booked for the night. I went straight from the airport to the house I'm hoping to call home for the next year and then when I called a cab, I came straight here."

"Then stay."

"I shouldn't—"

"I want you to," Emma replied, but she wasn't looking at her and instead she had her gaze fixated on the glass in her right hand. "Please?"

"Where will I sleep?" Regina asked, knowing full well that the house only had two bedrooms and one of which she also knew that Emma hadn't gone into at all; her parents' room. "Emma?"

"The couch pulls out," she said with a small shrug. "It's comfortable, actually. I'll just—I will figure out somewhere else for me to sleep tonight."

"No."

"No?"

Regina shook her head before drinking that last sip of her wine. "Surely we can share, can't we?"

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea."

"Why not? We're friends, aren't we?"

"I think you know as well as I do that we're more than just friends, Regina."

"Yes, I suppose we are," she replied shyly, feeling her cheeks flush hot. "Is there any wine left?"

"Don't know," Emma shrugged and she slouched down further on the couch, her eyes beginning to droop shut from the sheer exhaustion that took a hold of her. "You can check. If not, there's usually a bottle of tequila in the cupboard above the fridge."

"That is probably not a good idea."

"Probably not."

Regina stood up from the couch, taking a deep breath as a small wave of dizziness washed over her and the few glasses they had shared had hit her suddenly. She walked through the dimly lit living room and found her way to the dark kitchen with relative easiness, as if she'd done it a hundred times before. She found the switch on the wall and winced at the bright light that assaulted her vision viciously.

She found an unopened bottle of wine in the pantry on a top shelf. She stood on her tiptoes and reached for the bottle, noting right away that it was a vintage and a good one at that. The bottles they'd drank earlier were smaller and cheaper, and she had to wonder if that bottle had been kept for a special occasion, for a birthday or anniversary.

In the end, she put the bottle back up on the shelf and grabbed two cold bottles of water out of the refrigerator. When she walked back into the living room, Emma had pulled out the bed and was struggling with the sheets.

"Here, let me help," Regina said as she placed a hand on the small of Emma's back to get her to stop fighting with the sheets.

"I got this."

Regina just stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest, watching as Emma struggled and fought with the fitted sheet until she finally had it around one side of the thin mattress on the pullout. Regina stepped up behind her, placing her hand on the small of Emma's back once again and felt her relax after a second or two had passed.

"I think we should call it a night, Emma."

"Okay," Emma sighed and she turned a little to look back at her. "Are you sure this is okay? Us sharing a bed?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Regina asked and she smiled a little coyly. "I'm sure I can manage to keep my hands to myself tonight, Emma."

"That's just the thing," she frowned. "I'm not so sure I'll be able to."

Regina exhaled shakily, not wanting to admit that she might not be able to either. Emma was in a place where she was vulnerable and Regina couldn't take advantage of that even if Emma initiated things. Besides, she thought as she moved to grab her carry on, they had only just met face-to-face for the very first time just over eight hours ago.

It felt like so much longer than that. Regina sighed as he opened up her luggage and found the pair of cotton shorts and matching tank top she'd brought along to wear to bed. There was only one more change of clothing, something she'd need to do something about the next day. She'd need something appropriate to wear to the funeral and some more clothes after that to last her until Saturday.

"I'm just going to go and check on the boys," Emma said quietly. "I'll be right back."

"Okay."

"Pick a side," she said as she waved flippantly at the small sofa bed. "It doesn't matter which. You're the guest, you pick your side and I'll sleep on the other."

Regina nodded and waited for Emma to get halfway up the stairs before she stripped out of her clothes and changed quickly. She grabbed her small travel kit that had her toothbrush, toothpaste, a comb, and makeup removal wipes and headed upstairs to the bathroom. She quickly got ready for bed, slightly unsteady on her feet because of the wine she had consumed, but once she ran the comb through her hair and left her little bag on the vanity by the sink, she opened the door and flipped off the light.

Regina wasn't picky on which side of the sofa bed she picked. With Daniel, they tended to switch sides randomly and it was an unspoken arrangement that worked for them. When she and Kathryn used to share a bed during their sleepovers in high school and even when they were much younger, it had been the same kind of unspoken arrangement. Yet, Emma wanted her to pick a side, so she sat down on the left side and waited for Emma to return downstairs.

For the first time since she arrived at the Swan house, Regina thought back to the times she'd come to visit Emma's parents. Mary Margaret had been so welcoming, so sweet and so very kind. She was the type of woman that would normally irritate her, but for some reason she never let that happen. A part of it, she knew, was because it was Emma's mother and at the time, it was as close to being near Emma as she could get. David had been the same as his wife, welcoming, sweet, and kind. She thought back to the way the two of them would look at one another, with so much love even when they were bickering about something that didn't truly matter in the end.

The house was quiet enough that if she listened, she could hear Mary Margaret singing to Nathan and David's laughter that followed. She frowned deeply and shifted on the thin mattress until she was laying down, her head on one of the soft pillows that smelled far too much like Emma.

Emma returned a short while later, dressed in checkered boxer shorts and a white tank top. Her hair was pulled up into a loose bun and her eyes were a little red, a clear indication that she had been crying mere moments before.

"Are the boys still asleep?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded and she sat down on the right side, sighing heavily before she laid down next to Regina.

Regina turned on her side, watching as Emma reached over to switch off the lamp, encasing the living room in almost darkness. The only light came from the hall light upstairs that cast odd shadows around the living room. Emma turned on her side to face Regina and frowned slightly.

Regina reached over and slipped a hand into Emma's, intertwining their fingers with ease. Disappointment fluttered through her body as Emma pulled her hand back a moment later and reached for the sheets, draping it over both their bodies. Regina laid there and drank in the sight of Emma's features, shadowed by the dim light. She stared into her eyes, much darker without the light there to bring the mixture of blue and green out, and then over the curve of her nose and her full cheeks. Her eyes settled on Emma's lips and she felt a small surge of arousal course through her body when she remembered exactly how soft those lips had felt against her own earlier.

Against her better judgment, Regina slid closer to Emma, quickly closing the small distance between them and captured her lips in a soft, tender kiss. Emma moaned quietly and yet she didn't pull back as Regina had expected. They kissed slowly until Regina felt Emma's tongue tease over her lips and she parted willingly, her hand sliding around to the back of Emma's neck as the kiss deepened.

She had never felt her whole body spark with arousal from a single kiss as she had in that moment. She sighed contently when she felt Emma's hand slide over her hip, drawing her in closer as they continued to kiss deep and slow. Her skin tingled when Emma's fingers dipped between the space between the top of her shorts just under the hem of the t-shirt and she moaned into Emma's mouth before they parted a second later.

"Emma—"

Regina was cut off by Emma's lips on hers once again, but the kiss wasn't soft nor was it slow. It was full of burning, hungry passion that ignited Regina's arousal further. They grasped on to one another, Regina all but pulling Emma until she lay on top of her with a thigh falling between her legs. Regina's heart was racing hard and her panties grew damp as they kissed wantonly, desperately, and greedily.

Emma grasped on to her left thigh, pulling Regina's leg up around her hip as her short nails lightly scratched along the underside of her thigh. Regina moaned and raked her nails down Emma's back, arching her body into hers as their hips rolled. The strong thigh between her legs pressed harder and Regina moaned again, her hands moving to grasp at Emma's hips, not knowing if she wanted to push her away or pull her down on the thigh she had between Emma's legs.

Emma parted from the kiss and pressed their foreheads together, rocking her core against Regina's thigh. She panted softly, her breath spilling over Regina's kiss-swollen lips. Suddenly, Emma leaned back and stilled her body and she shook her head, snapping the hand she had on Regina's left thigh back quickly.

"Shit," Emma groaned quietly. "We need to stop."

Regina swallowed thickly, dropping her hands from Emma's hips as she moved to lay back down on the bed beside her. "Are you all right?" Regina asked when Emma hadn't said a word for a few lingering minutes. "Emma?"

"No," she said with a small shake of her head. "I'm not all right, Regina."

"Talk to me," she whispered. "Please?"

Emma shook her head again. "Not now. I—it's just too much. Maybe sharing a bed _was_ a bad idea. Fuck."

"Are you feeling guilty?" Regina pressed and Emma just stared at her. "Emma, as I told you earlier, it's okay to feel all the things that you feel right now. You don't need to feel burdened by your guilt in wanting this. Us. Me."

"But I am burdened by it," she muttered quietly. "I shouldn't want to let go, to feel happy when right now that is the last thing I should be feeling. My parents are dead and all I can think about is how much I want you."

"Emma—"

"Do you remember what you said to me a few weeks ago?" Emma asked and Regina nodded her head hesitantly, her body and mind still clouded with arousal. "You wanted to take things slow between us. You don't want to rush this and neither do I. But I—"

"But?" Regina asked tentatively.

"You feel it too, don't you?" Emma whispered. "That…spark between us?"

"I do, yes."

Emma managed a small smile before she tucked a hand under her pillow and stared at her long and hard. Regina had always been so surprised at how open and honest she was with Emma. It was hard for her to be that way with anyone else in her life. It had even been hard for her with Daniel until he'd broken past those walls she always had up. With Emma, it was easy. It had always been easy since they'd first started to exchange letters through the pen pal program.

Regina reached out to brush a strand of hair that had fallen over Emma's eyes and she smiled at her affectionately. She knew she loved her, she knew for a long time that she loved Emma Swan, but to be there in her presence, to be able to touch her, it made it that much more real. And it made her feel like she was falling—and she was, she was falling hopelessly in love with Emma Swan with every passing second.

She wished it were under different circumstances that they had met for the first time. She wished those very circumstances that brought them together weren't the driving force that Emma was using to wedge between them, to keep from anything else from happening between them. Regina licked over her lips slowly and she mirrored Emma's position, tucking her right hand under the pillow and letting her left linger over the small space between them.

"I don't know what I'm going to do, Regina," Emma whispered softly. "I don't know what is going to happen next. I had all these plans, you know?"

"I know."

"I quit my job," Emma laughed dryly. "I quit my job to move back home and I—I was going to find a place for me and Henry to call home. It wasn't supposed to go this way."

"I know," Regina whispered and she reached out to stroke her hand along Emma's arm. "It doesn't seem like it now, but things will get better one day, and all those plans you had will come to fruition one way or another. Perhaps not how you wished for them to be, but everything you've ever wanted can still very much happen."

"It doesn't feel like it now."

"I know," Regina said and she leaned forward and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead, too afraid that if she kissed those soft, delectable lips that neither of them would be able to stop as they had before.

"How long are you staying for?" Emma asked. "Until Saturday, right?"

"Yes," Regina nodded. "I'll be back in a few weeks."

"It's going to feel a lot longer than that," Emma pouted and Regina just shook her head lightly. "I—I felt so broken before you came here today," Emma admitted. "I don't know how to explain it, but now that you're here, I don't feel as hopeless, as broken. I—I feel stronger with you here. Is that crazy?"

"No, not at all," Regina replied. "But you are strong, Emma. With or without me. Right now, I am not going anywhere for the next three days, okay?"

"Okay."

"Let's just try and get some sleep," she continued and she barely managed to stifle her yawn, the long day coupled with the wine was beginning to take its toll. "Goodnight Emma."

"Goodnight Regina."

[X]

It rained the next day, all day, hard at times with booming claps of thunder that shook and rattled the house, scaring Nathan into wailing tears and made Henry tremble in fear. He took solace in Regina's arms, sitting on the couch with the blinds open and drapes drawn to watch the storm, her soothing voice calming him down as Emma rocked Nathan in her arms in an attempt to calm him as well.

When the worst of the storm had passed and both boys were put down for a nap late in the afternoon, Emma curled up on the couch with Regina and they sat in comfortable silence as they listened to the rain hit the windows. Nothing more happened between them aside from the occasional caress or lingering gaze, but Emma knew things had gone too far the night before and that it couldn't happen again, at least not within the coming days.

August came around just before dinnertime to join them for the lasagna Regina had prepared. Even then, nobody spoke much at all aside from August commenting on how deliciously good Regina's lasagna had turned out. August didn't stay too long after dinner, his hug with Emma lingering as he whispered in her ear that she could get through tomorrow, that she was strong enough to do so.

Emma found herself pacing in her old room, now her baby brother's room, while Henry fidgeted on her old bed with his pajama's that were too big on him. Nathan had been fussy for hours and Emma knew why. She knew he wanted his mother, not his big sister, and her absence was definitely noticed by the nearly one-year-old boy.

"Where is Gammy, Mama?" Henry asked quietly and it wasn't the first time he'd asked that throughout the day, but Emma had yet to tell him why his grandparents hadn't come home yet. "Mama?"

Emma sighed heavily and glanced over at the door when she heard the floorboards creak as Regina appeared in the doorway. "There's something I need to tell you, Henry, and it's very important that you understand, okay?"

"Okay Mama."

Regina walked into the room and sat on the bed next to Henry as Emma carried Nathan over and they all sat on the bed together, Henry squished between both women. Regina reached out to give Emma's shoulder a soft squeeze and Emma took a deep breath and felt the tears start to well up in her eyes.

"A few days ago," she began, her voice cracking with emotion. "They were in a car crash when they were on their way home. Henry, they—they died."

"They did?" Henry asked, looking up at her in confusion. "They aren't coming home?"

"No, no they're not."

"Where did they go?"

Emma swallowed thickly. She wasn't sure how to answer that, but Regina gave her shoulder another gentle squeeze before she wrapped her arm around Henry's shoulders.

"They went to Heaven, Henry. Do you know what that is?"

"Yes," he said quietly. "It's where you go when you die of old age," he said and he pouted as he looked back up at Emma. "They weren't old, Mama."

"I know."

"Why did they have to go?" Henry asked, his voice even tinier.

Emma's tears slid down her cheeks as she watched Regina scoop Henry up into her lap and held him tightly as he too began to cry. Regina tried to sooth his tears, explaining to him that sometimes accidents happen and people don't always survive. It was an emotional moment for all of them, aside from Nathan who had taken to sucking on his fingers as he sat in Emma's lap, oblivious to what was going on and what had happened to his parents.

It took them both a while to get both boys settled down and into bed for the night. Emma could barely walk down the stairs, the exhaustion, both emotional and physical weighing her down. She and Regina settled down on the sofa bed shortly before midnight and Regina held her until she stopped crying and she didn't let go, not even after Emma had finally fallen asleep.

The following morning, the day of her parents' funeral, Emma woke up in Regina's warm embrace, her head on her chest and their legs intertwined. For a lingering moment, Emma had forgotten what the day was, she had forgotten everything aside from how content she felt to be wrapped up around Regina. Nathan's cries from upstairs were what pulled her out of her little content bubble and she rushed upstairs to tend to him while Regina started the coffee.

After breakfast and after finding something suitable for the boys to wear to the funeral that afternoon, Emma sat on her old bed, on the verge of tears because she had nothing to wear. It was how Regina found her, clad in only her panties and a mismatched bra, her hair still damp from the shower. She barely managed to get dressed and after August came around to watch after the boys, she and Regina headed to one of the stores a few blocks away in her Bug and bought almost matching black dresses to wear to the funeral.

The rain clouds from the day before lingered in the sky above, but they didn't break open, not until they were back at the house and getting ready to leave for the funeral home on the other side of the city. Thunder crashed suddenly, shaking the house and caused the lights to flicker, but Regina was quick to tend to Neal as Emma struggled to get the diamond-studded earring into her left lobe.

They were late to the funeral home, supposed to have shown up half an hour before the service would take place to have a private moment as a family before others came to pass on their condolences. Regina held on to Emma's right hand while August carried Neal and Henry held on to Regina's other hand. Regina barely left her side, becoming her anchor, her strength throughout the emotionally moving service.

The rain stopped, ironically enough just as they left for the cemetery a few blocks away. Even when they were in the car that August had rented for them that day, Regina still did not let go of Emma's hand, her thumb rubbing over Emma's in a soothing, circular pattern. When they arrived at the cemetery and the car came to a stop, Emma took a few deep breaths, allowing a few tears to roll down her cheeks before she forced them to stop.

They shared a light, brief kiss, the first since the other night, and they only let go of one another's hands to get out of the back of the car. Just beyond the gravel path where everyone parked their vehicles, a tent had been set up around the site, which would become her parents' final resting place. Regina led her over to the open tent with Henry in tow. They took a seat in the chairs at the front and August placed Nathan on Emma's lap before he joined the other pallbearers by the two hearses, ready to carry each casket to its place in front of the open graves.

The sun barely poked out after both caskets were in place and the people gathered there quieted down. Emma turned to look at all who had come, some familiar faces, some not. A few rows back she spotted Ruby and her girlfriend seated beside the neighbors from across the street. She spotted Neal sitting near the back and she couldn't recall if she'd seen him at the funeral home or not as everything started to blur together.

August came over to Emma and gave her a small nod. "We're ready when you are," he said and he pulled out the paper that Emma had written her eulogy for her parents on the day before. "Just breathe."

"You'll be fine," Regina said, whispering it into her ear as she took Nathan out of her lap and placed him on hers.

Emma took a few deep breaths and walked over to the podium. She blinked past the blur of tears and looked at all the people gathered there for her parents. There were teachers from her mother's school and friends. Her father's coworkers were there along with some of his friends. There were a lot of people huddled under the tent and just beyond it. It was all so very overwhelming but as she blinked past her tears and her eyes landed on Regina, she felt the anchored feeling coming back tenfold. She smiled at her, smiled at her son and her baby brother and cleared her throat.

"Thank you everyone for being here today," she began, her voice cracking with emotion before she took another deep, steading breath. "I honestly don't know where to start, what to say, so I'll share with you a memory of my parents, Mary Margaret and David Swan, one that I will forever cherish just as I know you all will cherish the memories you have of them yourselves…"

Emma shared the simple memory of a day from the summer before, one so simple it seemed so insignificant at the time, but now it mattered. It meant the world. Her mother was in her sixth month, before the drama of having Nathan too early had happened. They had been hanging out in the backyard, her father at the grill cooking hamburgers and hot dogs, drinking beer with August and a few of their friends. She and her mother were talking, about what Emma couldn't remember now, but she did remember the laughter from that day and how she had realized just how close she and her mother had grown over the years.

It was a simple memory, of a simple time, a happier time. Emma gripped the edge of the podium tightly and let her gaze linger on Regina for a long moment before she looked around at the familiar and unfamiliar faces before her. She swallowed past the rising lump in her throat and kept the tears at bay as best as she could before delivering the end of her eulogy.

"The world lost two very kind, loving souls, ones that can never be replaced, and ones we will always remember for who they were," she said quietly and she had to look away from a few of her mother's colleagues as they began to cry audibly. "Mom, Dad, I am going to miss you, we are all going to miss you. You were taken far too soon from this life. I love you both so very much."

Emma returned to her seat, a little surprised when Regina leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her cheek before whispering how proud she was of her for getting through one of the hardest moments of her life flawlessly. She slipped a hand into Regina's after Nathan squirmed and scrambled into August's lap. Her only surviving grandmother, Ruth, walked up to the podium and while Emma tried to listen to her eulogy, her mind was only focused on the feel of Regina's hand in her own and the soft, tender way that Regina stroked a thumb over hers.

After her grandmother finished, August moved to the podium, and being the writer that he was, his eulogy was long and not only touching, but heartbreaking as well. Emma felt like she had no tears left to cry and Regina let go of her hand only to drape her arm around her shoulders, holding her as sobs wracked through her tired body by the time August wrapped things up.

As far as funerals went, her parents hadn't wanted anything in the traditional sense, and their wishes were held as people stood around their open graves, bagpipes playing as each casket were lowered into the earth slowly. Everyone that had gathered under the tent had moved to stand around their final resting place and when the last notes of the bagpipe played, a moment of silence followed and the sunbeams that had broken through the angry grey clouds suddenly disappeared.

When the skies opened up and the rain started to fall, everyone made a run towards their vehicles parked along the gravel path, some running for cover under the tent. Emma scooped up her baby brother while Regina ran with Henry tailing behind her and clutching tightly on to her hand. Their car was close, but even as close as it was; they were still soaked before they got into the backseat.

The day was far from over yet as a wake was being held at the Swan house for family and close friends only. The boys were both tired and cranky and in need of a nap and Emma wanted nothing more than to curl up on the sofa bed with Regina and nap the rest of the afternoon away too. In a perfect world, it could happen, but the world was far from perfect and the day was far from over yet.

The very first thing that Emma did once they returned to the house was change both of the boys out of their clothes and into their pajamas. She got them settled into their beds, and after reading Henry a story while she held Nathan in her arms, it didn't take much to get them both to fall asleep. Emma returned downstairs, with ten minutes before anyone else was due to arrive for the wake, and she found Regina standing in front of the collage of framed pictures by the bottom of the stairs.

"You didn't have much trouble getting the boys down, did you?" Regina asked, her gaze not moving from the picture she was looking at, one that was taken just before Christmas of Emma, her parents, and the two boys enjoying a day at the beach. "Emma?"

"No," she sighed. "No problem. They were exhausted."

"How are you feeling?"

"Not so good," Emma frowned. She sighed as she turned to her and they both just fell into an embrace with ease. "Thank you for being here, Regina. Especially today. I—I don't think that I could've gotten through today without you."

Though the perfume Regina normally wore was absent that day, the scent of her and purely her calmed Emma in ways she couldn't quite describe. A part of her still felt wholly guilty for wanting to let go with Regina completely, but it wasn't time yet. She settled on a sweet, passionate kiss instead, one that was broken by the sound of car doors slamming just outside.

As she had been since that very morning, Regina didn't leave her side for the next handful of hours nor did she let got of Emma's hand for more than a very few short minutes at a time. Those who had come for the wake brought dishes of food, too many dishes, and too much food. Regina had, albeit flawlessly, stepping into a role Emma couldn't take upon herself, and for that she was grateful.

Regina was her anchor in more ways than one. Despite the heavy grief that surrounded them all, it was Regina who gave her that semblance of hope that beyond that day, beyond the grief and the loss, there was and would be happiness one day, happiness that came in the form of a love that Emma didn't know at the time that would be her greatest love, and one that would last a lifetime and beyond.


	8. Chapter 8

**Part VIII**

Life had changed considerably in the weeks that followed her parents' funeral. It had taken her two weeks to muster up the courage to even enter their bedroom, two dreadful weeks than turned into almost three before she'd packed away some of the more meaningful mementos and donated the rest to a local charity with Ruby's help.

In the days that had followed the funeral and after the official reading of her parents' joint will, she was assigned the sole custody of her baby brother, and the benefactor of her parents' "estate", which consisted of a very generous insurance payout that would have her and both boys set for life. The house, thankfully due to an insurance policy her father had set up many years before, was paid off. No longer did she have to worry about how she would make the mortgage payments and the only worries she did have was making sure all the bills were paid on time.

She also was granted sole and full custody of her baby brother, as she had learned in the days following the funeral. Her life had quickly changed in ways she couldn't control. August went to New York City to pack up the apartment for her since he had offered and her former boss had been calling, requesting and demanding that she move her things out immediately. The house was chaotic for a few days before everything he'd come back with had been unpacked.

Nathan's first birthday, while her mother would've thrown a huge party, was small with only those considered family there that day. Regina hadn't been able to make it in time for the party as she was driving down only a handful of days later to move into the house she'd rented out until the end of May down in Gainesville.

Henry started kindergarten the day after Nathan's first birthday. Emma didn't think she'd be as emotional as she was, standing on the blacktop with Nathan in his stroller, watching Henry timidly stand along the wall with his new classmates when the bell had rang. He wasn't scared, just a little shy, and when the teacher ushered them inside, he waved at her with a big smile that caused tears to spring to her eyes.

She spent that morning on the phone with Regina, talking about how hard it was for her to watch him go off to school for the very first time. Regina was in the midst of packing, but stayed on the phone despite being busy and managed to calm Emma down when she was on the verge of hysterics. Before they had hung up, Regina promised her that after she unpacked her things at the house that she'd make the trip up to Tallahassee for the weekend before classes started the following week.

Emma spent the latter half of the morning painting the master bedroom a cool shade of grey while Nathan bounced around in the jumper that was attached to the doorframe. Ruby had been the one who suggested painting the room, changing everything so she wouldn't feel like it was theirs and that it would begin to feel like hers. The furniture she'd bought would be delivered by Thursday and everything that had once been in there that had been her parents had already been donated.

She walked to the school with Nathan in his stroller to pick Henry up just after twelve. He was excited to see her, chattering on about his very first day at school and all the new friends he had made. By the time they got back home, he was exhausted and she put both boys down for a nap before returning to the bedroom to finish painting the last wall.

Dropping Henry off the next morning was a little less emotional for Emma. He was happier than he'd been the day before, greeting some of his new friends the moment he spotted them on the blacktop. She spent her morning with Nathan at the park, helping him walk on the soft grass, letting go only sometimes to see if he could take those few steps on his own, and smiling sadly every time he fell. She thought about her parents a lot that morning, thinking about how they'd never see him take his first steps on his own or hear his first words.

"Hey," Neal said from behind her and she let Nathan plop down on the grass gently.

"Hey," Emma said as Neal walked over and took a seat on the grass beside her. "What are you doing here?"

Neal pointed over at a woman that was sitting on a bench not too far away. "We were just out and about," he replied with a shrug. "That is Tamara."

"Oh," Emma said as she looked at the petite woman. "Girlfriend?"

"Yes," he smiled. "How's Henry doing?"

"Good," Emma replied, reaching out for Nathan before he could crawl too far away from her. "He just started kindergarten yesterday."

"Isn't he too young for that?"

"No," Emma said, shaking her head. "He'll be five in February, Neal."

"I know. Time sure flies quickly, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, yeah it does."

Emma sat Nathan down in her lap and pulled the blades of grass out of his chubby fingers before he could put it into his mouth. While Neal had been around occasionally in the beginning, he had hardly been in touch and he hadn't seen Henry for almost two years. Henry never asked about his dad and Emma never talked about him either. She barely spoke with Neal anymore, aside from the very rare phone call once every couple of months when he asked about Henry and they spoke of nothing else.

Neal looked slightly uncomfortable, but he didn't move to leave, just picking at the grass and flinging it to the side absentmindedly. "I'm moving," he said after a moment. "In a few weeks actually."

"Oh? Where are you going?"

"New York City," he replied with a slight shrug. "I need a change, a big change. I found a finance job up there."

"Tired of being a correctional officer to a bunch of delinquent teenagers?" Emma teased and he chuckled quietly with a slight shake of his head.

"Can I come around and see Henry before I leave?"

"Neal—"

"Not to the house," he said quickly. "I know I'm not welcome there. I just—I'd really like to see him before I go."

"He doesn't know who you are, Neal."

"I know."

"I don't think it's such a good idea," Emma said quietly. "He's older now. He'll start asking questions that I'm not so sure I can answer."

"Right," he said bitterly as he rose to his feet. "I know things haven't been so great between us for a long time, Em, and I know we made a stupid mistake that summer, but I don't regret ever becoming friends with you."

"We're not friends, not anymore," Emma replied tightly. "Good luck in New York City."

"Yeah, thanks," Neal frowned. "Em, can I ask you something?"

"Depends on what you're going to ask."

"That woman that was with you at your parents' funeral, is she the one you were writing to for all those years?" He asked, genuinely curious. Emma just nodded and let Nathan crawl out of her lap and over the grass to where the stroller sat. "Looks like that pen pal program worked out for you, huh?"

"Yeah, yeah it did."

"Well," Neal said as he scratched at the back of his neck. "I'm happy for you, Em."

She just smiled and watched as he walked away to join his girlfriend back on the bench, the two of them sharing a sweet little kiss. Emma sighed and stood up, scooping Nathan up from the ground and placed him back into his stroller. She couldn't wait to share moments like that with Regina and just thinking about her made her heart ache and it made her long desperately for Regina to be there and in her arms.

She picked Henry up from school and, much like the day before, she put both boys down for a nap after they'd eaten their lunch. She found herself standing in the middle of the freshly painted master bedroom and while there was nothing in there to remind her of her parents any longer, she still felt like it was theirs as it had been for her whole life. She spent the afternoon going through the pictures that had hung on the walls in the apartment in New York City, hanging them up around the room, bringing in a new life with each one that she hung meticulously on the freshly painted walls.

There was only one thing missing, a picture of Regina. She still had the Polaroid that Regina had sent many years before, the same Polaroid she had forgotten when she'd first moved to New York City and one that Regina had sent to her in the mail just a few short weeks after she had learned that Regina had shown up at the house with the whole intention of surprising her on New Years Eve. It sat in a small frame ever since she had gotten it back and that small frame had sat on the bedside table in her apartment in New York and it had come with her to LA during those months she'd been there for work.

She sat down in the middle of the room with that very same frame clutched tightly in her hands and she stared at the girl in the picture. While Regina hadn't changed too much since the picture had been taken, Emma could vividly remember every little detail far better than the old picture. The girl in the picture had yet to know life's hardships, she had yet to know love and loss. The girl in the picture was the woman Emma had fallen in love with. It hadn't happened in a moment that she could reflect back on, but it had happened throughout the years, slowly and surely.

Emma called Regina that night after she'd put the boys to bed, but the line had rang and rang before it went to her voicemail and Emma hung up without leaving a message. She made up the sofa bed one last time, settling down on the thin mattress with a certain restlessness washing over her all at once. She pulled the sheets over her body and closed her eyes as she willed sleep to come.

Like most nights, the last thought on her mind was centered on Regina Mills. The weekend couldn't come fast enough.

[X]

Regina made the trip down the east coast over the course of two days. She had shipped her things prior to leaving early on Thursday morning and by that night she had made it to a small town in South Carolina. She stayed at a motel that night, talking to Emma for well over an hour before she fell asleep.

She left early the next morning, determined to make it to Gainesville before the sun set that night. When she passed the state line just after five that evening, she made a split-second decision and headed east towards Tallahassee instead of continuing south. She already had the key to the house as Eloise had mailed it to her a week before. Emma wasn't expecting her to come by until Saturday afternoon as they had originally planned.

Regina grinned as she cruised along the interstate. She was in Tallahassee within the hour and she was growing increasingly anxious to see Emma again. It had been three weeks since she'd seen her last, three long weeks. Regina stopped at a gas station not too far from the Swan house and while the attendant filled up the tank for her, she made a quick trip into the bathroom to change her clothes, trading in her loose-fitting yoga pants for a pair of light beige cotton capris that she paired with a fresh white tank top she was fairly certain should belong in Emma's wardrobe and not her own.

She ran her fingers through her hair and smiled at her reflection in the mirror. She applied some lip-gloss before grabbing her overnight bag, stuffing it with the clothes she'd worn for most of the day and walked out. After she paid for the gas and tipped the attendant, she was back on the road. Within ten minutes she was making a turn on to the familiar street, smiling when she caught sight of Emma's yellow Bug parked in the driveway.

Regina could hardly contain her excitement as she parked behind Emma's Bug and hopped out of the car and all but ran up to the front door. She lifted a hand and knocked on the door, grinning as she took a step back and waited. She could hear Emma just inside, telling Henry to stay right where he was. Just mere seconds later, the front door was pulled open abruptly.

"Regina?" Emma gasped.

"Hello," she smiled and she surged forward into Emma's arms. "I thought I'd surprise you."

Emma laughed and lifted her up, spinning her around a few times before letting her back down to her feet. They were kissing the moment Regina's feet touched the front porch. It was anything but soft and sweet, it was full of heated passion and desperation and need. One of Emma's hands sunk into her short hair and the other grasped at her ass, pulling her out of the haze she'd fallen into the moment their lips had touched.

"Hi," Emma murmured lazily against her lips. "Some surprise."

Regina smiled and reached around to remove Emma's hand from her ass. "We're on the front porch, my love, and your neighbors across the street are watching us."

Emma laughed lightly, took Regina's hand in hers, and led her inside. As soon as she shut the front door, Emma was kissing her once more, but it wasn't nearly as heated as it had been before. When the parted, they both smiled and Emma took a step back, drinking her in with a lustful gaze, one that caused a surge of arousal to spark through Regina's body.

"You're really here."

"I really am," Regina laughed quietly and she gasped when she felt Henry collide into her legs and hold on tight. "Hello Henry."

"Hi Gina!" He beamed as he looked up at her. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too," she said as she scooped him up into her arms. "I heard you've been having so much fun at school this week."

"I painted you a picture today!"

Regina smiled and let him down on his feet. "I cannot wait to see it."

The reunion filled an empty piece in her heart and her soul as she sat in the living room on the sofa bed beside Emma and watched as Henry showed her the many pictures he'd painted during his first week of kindergarten.

Henry's picture he'd made for Regina consisted of what looked like the Swan house, two tall stick figures and two smaller ones. Henry explained that it was her, his mother, he and baby Nathan. Family. It was how Henry saw them, as a family, and how and why he saw it that way was astonishing to her. Even Emma had tears in her eyes after his innocent explanation of the picture he'd painted that day during school.

Emma explained to her when Henry had gone off to the other side of the living room to play with Nathan on the floor that she had told him that morning that Regina was coming back. Emma told her how excited Henry had been to hear that and that he hadn't stopped talking about her all the way to school and he was still talking about it when she'd picked him up early in the afternoon.

"He loves you, you know," Emma said quietly as she placed her hand on Regina's lower back, a touch that Regina immediately leaned into.

"I love him too," Regina replied. "How could I not?"

"He's not the only one who loves you," Emma murmured, her lips just a hairsbreadth away from Regina's ear. "I love you, Regina."

Warmth spread through her body like wildfire and she turned, smiling at Emma as she reached up to caress her cheek lightly. "I love you too."

Emma grinned, closing the small distance between them to kiss her softly, their lips lingering just for a moment before Regina was the one to push Emma back. She shook her head no and Emma quirked an eyebrow up in confusion.

"Not in front of the children."

"I can't kiss you in front of—"

"No," Regina said quietly yet sharply, merely teasing her because she could.

Emma chuckled, but a pout jutted out, one that Regina wanted nothing more than to kiss away immediately. "I'll be right back," Emma said and she scrambled off of the couch and darted into the kitchen.

Regina shook her head and settled back on the couch, watching Henry play with Nathan with some blocks on the floor by the window. Even back in the springtime, when she used to come to visit Emma's parents and spend time with the boys, she was amazed at how patient Henry was with the baby. It was so clear that Henry adored Nathan, that he loved him to pieces. She smiled when Henry cried out in surprise when Nathan threw a plastic block at his head.

"No, don't do that, Nate," he said quietly. "We don't throw them. We build things. See?"

"No!" Nathan squealed happily, throwing another block and just narrowly missing Henry's head. "No!"

Regina turned her head as August walked into the house. "Hello boys!" He said loud enough to get both of their attention. "Guess what?"

"What?"

"Sleepover at crazy Uncle August's house!" He laughed as he scooped Henry up, holding him upside down while Henry giggled and Nathan clapped his hands in delight. "Hello Regina," he said with a wide smile before letting Henry down on his feet.

"Hello August," she smiled back at him. "Sleepover, huh?"

"Yeah," he shrugged. "I owe Em a favor and she's cashing in," he chuckled. "Can't blame her either," he said lowly before picking up Nathan and covering his chubby cheeks with kisses.

Regina just sighed, a smile curling over her lips when she realized that is why Emma had gone into the kitchen, to call August to come and take the boys over to his place for the night. Suddenly she felt a little nervous because she had a feeling there was definitely more reason to why Emma had done that other than wanting to spend the night alone with her. Her mouth felt dry and she licked over her lips slowly, watching as Emma came bouncing down the stairs with a backpack and Nathan's diaper bag.

"You boys be good, okay?" Emma said, her eyes on Henry who was bouncing at the door, ready to go. "Henry?"

"Okay Mama."

Emma bent down to drop a kiss to his forehead before turning her attention to Nathan in August's arms. "If he gives you too much trouble, I put the CD in his bag."

"The one with the sounds of the ocean?" August asked. "Or the jungle noises?"

"Both. Either works these days for him," Emma replied and she leaned in and kissed Nathan on the side of his head. "I'll see you guys in the morning," she smiled, handing the diaper bag to August and helping Henry put on his backpack. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Regina said and she waved to Henry before August ushered him out the door. Emma shut the door behind them and locked it, smiling at she turned to look over at Regina. "You know you didn't have to do that, Emma."

Emma shrugged and walked over to her. She smiled as she reached down for her hands and pulled her to her feet. "Come on, I want to show you something."

"Emma—"

"I have been waiting for weeks to see you again," Emma said quickly as she led the way over to the stairs. "I want to show you what I did upstairs."

"Your room?"

"Yes," Emma smiled shyly and they both ascended up the stairs slowly. "I painted it a few days ago and the furniture was just delivered yesterday."

Regina had never been inside the bedroom that was formerly her parents' and she was growing increasingly nervous as they neared the room. It still smelled of fresh paint, but there was also a lingering scent of vanilla candles that had been lit in the time that Emma had been upstairs before. Regina's heart was racing hard and fast in her chest as Emma led her to the middle of the room, right at the foot of the bed.

"I love the color," Regina said even though in the darkening room, it was hard to see the color at all. "It's nice, Emma."

"Yeah?" Emma asked and she shook her head. "I tried to make it feel like, um, mine and not theirs, you know?"

"Does it feel like yours?"

"It's starting to," Emma replied and she pulled her over to the wall by the white dresser where pictures lined the wall above. "There's something missing, you know?"

"Is there?" Regina asked as she looked over the pictures, most of the pictures of Henry, some of Nathan, some of the three of them, there were even pictures of Emma, her parents, and the boys. "What is missing, Emma?"

"You," she replied as she wrapped her arms around Regina from behind. "We never got around to taking a picture last time."

"There will be plenty of time for that, my love," Regina smiled and she relaxed into Emma's embrace. Her eyes trailed over the things on top of the dresser, which wasn't much more than a lone lit candle, a white watch, and a small vase of flowers. Paper flowers. "Are those—"

"The ones you made for me, yeah," Emma whispered against her ear. "I kept all of them. Some of them even still smell like you."

"Is that right?"

"Hmm, yeah, but this?" Emma murmured as she nuzzled her neck. "This is so much better. Nothing beats the real thing."

Regina moaned quietly as Emma's lips trailed feather-light kisses along her neck. Emma's hands were on her lower abdomen, unmoving until Regina placed her hands on top of Emma's and encouraged her to let her hands roam over her body freely. She wondered if Emma was feeling as nervous as she was when Emma hesitated, keeping her hands in safe places and not where Regina wanted her to touch.

She turned in Emma's arms, capturing Emma's lips in a deep kiss as her hands swept up Emma's arms, over her shoulders, and down along her back. She gasped in surprise when Emma's hands grasped at her ass and lifted her off the floor suddenly and she spun around until they both toppled down on to the bed together with Regina on top. They were kissing once more as if they hadn't parted for a few mere seconds and Emma's hands slipped under the hem of Regina's tank top and slipped up along the smooth expanse of her back.

Regina could feel just how much Emma wanted her in that very moment, just as she could feel how much Emma was also holding herself back. Regina pulled back from Emma's lips with a small gasp as she rolled her hips down, grinding her pelvis against Emma's and the action caused a deliciously salacious moan to slip past Emma's lips.

Regina had never wanted anything more than she wanted Emma in that very moment. Her want, her need, it consumed her in a way unlike anything she had ever felt before. Regina may have never been with another woman before, but she knew one thing for certain and that was that if this was going to happen between them there in that moment, she would have to be the one to lead the way at first.

Shifting until she was straddling Emma mid-thigh, she pulled Emma up and moved her hands along her arms and stopped at her wrists, gently urging her hands to rise under her tank top and along her back with ease. She lifted her arms as Emma removed her shirt and she moaned when Emma's lips fell upon her chest, laying out hot, open-mouth kisses along her flesh. It had been so very long since she had been touched, kissed in such an intimate way, and there was a certain spark behind Emma's lips and the caress of her fingertips along her exposed skin.

Regina sunk her fingers into Emma's hair, reluctantly pulling her lips away from her breasts and captured them in a fierce and intense kiss. Regina's fingers grasped on the sides of Emma's t-shirt, tugging and raising it, inch by inch, both reluctantly pulling back from the wanton kiss as Regina removed Emma's shirt and tossed it haphazardly behind her. They were kissing again before the shirt even fell upon the floor and Emma clasped her hands on Regina's hips firmly, rising from the bed to flip them over until Regina lay on the middle on her back with Emma hovering just on top.

"Hi," Emma murmured softly, leaning on one elbow as she smoothed a palm over Regina's abdomen.

"Hi," she replied breathlessly, her heart fluttering wildly in her chest at the way that Emma was looking at her with such intensity, such openness, and love.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked and she lifted the hand on Regina's abdomen to brush aside her hair from her eyes. "Regina?"

"Yes, yes I'm fine," she replied.

"Do you want to stop?"

Regina laughed and shook her head no. She took that moment to sweep her hands up Emma's back, stopping when she reached the clasp on her flimsy yet plain white bra. She unclasped it with a quick flick of her fingers and Emma raised an eyebrow as a soft chuckle escaped past her lips.

"I guess going slow is a no too?" Emma murmured as Regina slipped the bra free and tossed it aside.

"I've never done this before."

"I know," Emma said and she kissed her lightly. "It's okay."

She placed her hands on Emma's hips and though they shook for a second as her nerves took over once more, it was Emma's soft moan that urged her on. She slowly slid her hands over Emma's toned abdomen and up the soft curve of her breasts. Her thumbs teased over semi-erect nipples and it elicited another soft moan past Emma's parted lips.

Regina leaned up as Emma reached back to unclasp her bra and she fell back against the soft bed and fresh sheets with a breathy moan, her eyes locked with Emma's in a heady gaze before Emma removed her bra with relative ease. Emma's touch wasn't shy, nor was she hesitant in moving her lips to Regina's neck, licking and nipping and sucking along her skin as her fingers danced over a hardening nipple. She arched as Emma's lips wrapped around the hard nub and she sank her fingers in Emma's hair, moaning loudly.

Her body felt as if it were just waking up from a long slumber and everywhere Emma touched, every press of her lips, nip of her teeth, and her flat, hot tongue trailing over her skin sent fiery shockwaves thundering through her. Her body was responding to Emma in a way her body had never responded to anyone else. Arousal pooled in her panties and she gasped as Emma licked a line down the middle of her abdomen and stopped at the top of her capris.

Regina lifted her hips slightly, wordlessly giving Emma permission to keep going. Her cunt was throbbing with need and she bit her bottom lip, holding back her gasp as Emma cupped her over her pants. Regina moved her hands to the drawstring and tugged gently, her eyes locked with Emma's as she undid the bow slowly. Emma pressed a single finger along her slit, causing her damp panties to cling to her before she placed a single kiss on her lower abdomen. With a small nod, Regina lifted her hips and allowed Emma to pull the loose fitting capris down her legs.

"Fuck, you're gorgeous," Emma murmured as she knelt on the bed between Regina's partially spread legs. "Are we going too fast?"

Regina bit her lip and shook her head no, beckoning Emma down to her with a curl of her fingers. Emma complied, but only after dropping a kiss to each knee before crawling up her body. Regina stopped her when she leaned in to kiss her and Emma blinked in confusion.

"Are we—" She started to ask again before Regina placed a finger upon her lips.

"No," Regina breathed out before she managed to flip Emma on her back almost effortlessly. "It's my turn, Emma."

Emma inhaled sharply, but the smile dancing over her lips told Regina she was not only enjoying herself immensely, but was also eager for more. Regina knew how responsive Emma's body was to her, she'd experienced it just a few weeks back and in the time since Emma had opened the front door. She straddled Emma's hips, the rough denim of her shorts scratching along her inner thighs, and she raked her short nails over Emma's abdomen as she sat back and admired the view laid out beneath her.

Dark pink nipples stood hard under Regina's gaze and her fingertips just inched their way towards Emma's breasts. She paused when she felt Emma's hands on her bare thighs, fingers stroking lightly midway and she smoothed both palms over Emma's pert breasts. She leaned forward, bracing herself with her left hand against the mattress by Emma's side and the other she teased her fingertips over the hard nub before placing feather-light kisses along the soft skin. Emma's hand went to the back of her head the moment her lips wrapped around her left nipple and her body arched up into her almost instantly.

There was no one way to describe the way that Emma's skin tasted, but she could definitely taste a hint of vanilla lingering on her skin. It was delicious and the nerves she had before began to take flight in her stomach once again at the though of finding out where she tasted everywhere else.

Regina shifted to lean on her right hand and she trailed the tip of her tongue across the dip between Emma's breasts and teased it over her other nipple. When she nipped at the sensitive bud, Emma let out of throaty sigh. She quickly began to figure out exactly what Emma liked, some things more than others, and especially when she used her teeth.

Mirroring Emma's previous move, she trailed her tongue down the flat expanse of Emma's toned stomach, stopping to tease the tip of her tongue around her tiny little navel. Emma's breath hitched when Regina deftly flicked open the button on her denim shorts and pulled at the zipper. She didn't wait for permission, with words or not, before she slipped the shorts down Emma's legs and began to tease feather-light kisses up along her smooth legs. She pulled back when her lips were so close to Emma's cotton covered cunt, and she was about to dip her fingers into the waistband of the white panties, before Emma shook her head no and grasped at her hands to stop her.

"Not yet," Emma murmured as she pulled Regina up her body and urged her to settle down on top of her once again. "Let's just…wait for that step, okay?"

"All right," Regina sighed, masking her disappointment by kissing Emma deeply and thoroughly. She pulled back a moment later and stared down into Emma's eyes. "Emma, I—" She cut herself off with a shake of her head.

"What?"

"Nothing, I—I just wanted to tell you that I've been thinking about this for weeks, perhaps longer than that."

"Me too," Emma grinned. "Which is why I don't think we should rush this."

"Emma, I've been here for what, almost an hour and we're already practically naked in your bed."

"What, you wanna put some clothes back on?" Emma teased and Regina shook her head before dipping down to playfully nip at Emma's smiling lips. "We have all night, Regina, and I am going to show you exactly why we needed to be all alone in the house."

[X]

Emma loved seeing Regina let herself loose and let herself fall away in the moment. She had not expected Regina to show up at her front door that evening and she couldn't recall a single moment in the last three weeks where she had been as happy as she'd been in that very moment her eyes fell upon Regina on her front porch.

And now, in that very moment they were sharing, Emma felt more than just happiness, more than just the lust coursing through her body. She felt love and she also felt as nervous as she knew that Regina was feeling too. Regina was straddling her hips in only a pair of the sexiest white lace panties she had ever seen and thoroughly exploring her upper body with her lips, tongue, and fingertips. Again she felt Regina tugging at her plain white cotton panties and this time she didn't stop her from easing them down her hips, her mind lost in a delicious lustful haze.

Her body was doing nothing more than reminding her just how long it'd been since it had been touched intimately, since she had been loved, worshipped even. She had worried about what Regina would think of her body, about how Regina would react, but so far she had seen nothing but lust in Regina's appreciative gaze.

She closed her eyes, focusing on the feather-light kisses Regina placed along her legs as she had done before. Some kisses lingered, others were quick as fingers swept up Emma's inner thighs and gently nudged her legs apart. Emma gripped at the new, freshly washed sheets and arched her back as Regina's fingers, lips, and tongue continue to explore over her legs.

She gasped once, then twice, followed by a throaty moan when she felt the languid swipe of Regina's tongue along her slit. She leaned up on her elbows and glanced down at Regina, murmuring quietly as Regina took a second tentative taste.

"Fuck," Emma groaned when Regina pulled back and licked over her lips slowly, a small moan slipping out a second later before she slicked her fingers through Emma's wet folds, teasing over her hole before moving a single fingertip to her hard, throbbing clit.

Regina kept her fingers slipping through Emma's folds as she crawled up her body and leaned in to capture Emma's lips in a deep, hungry kiss. Emma groaned at the feel of Regina's panty covered core against her thigh and she grasped at the flimsy material, wanting nothing more than to rip them off.

Emma pulled back from Regina's lips with a gasp, panting as Regina's fingers circled over her clit teasingly. She bit her bottom lip, her eyes locked with Regina's and she began to tug on her white lacy panties until Regina pulled her fingers away, lifted up and helped Emma slip them down her legs. She kicked them away and Emma used the moment to catch her off guard, pulling her down on the bed beside her and moving to lay over her nude body.

"Hi," Emma grinned as Regina's hands swept up and down her back slowly.

"Hi," Regina replied, her hips beginning to buck slightly as Emma slipped a leg between her thighs.

She wanted nothing more than to crawl between Regina's legs, to get her first taste of the delectable woman beneath her, and despite how much she wanted that and how turned on she was, she wanted this first moment to last. She was being driven by need, by the uncontrollable arousal that flooded through her body. She was driven by lust, but love won out very quickly as she ducked her head down to capture Regina's lips with a soft, lingering kiss.

A wave of emotion crashed through her all at once as she realized how long this very moment had been coming. It had been years in the making, years of distance, of letters, of phone calls. Years of denial of true feelings, of falling in love without ever having met face-to-face. Emma was never one to wear her heart on her sleeve, not the way that Regina did, but in that very moment, any walls either of them had built up around their heart and very soul had been washed away.

"Emma?" Regina whispered against her lips before she cupped Emma's face gently in her hands. "My love, are you all right?"

"Yes," Emma murmured softly, feeling tears of happiness fill her eyes. "I'm more than all right, Regina."

Emma kissed her and it was one filled with so much emotion that it made her heart swell and the butterflies in her stomach take flight. It made her feel warm, loved, and safe, at home there in Regina's arms. As they kissed passionately, Regina's hands swept down Emma's back, coming to rest on her hips, tugging on her, encouraging her to grind against the thigh between her legs. Emma sucked on Regina's bottom lip, grasping at her other thigh as she pulled it around her hip, opening Regina up for her as their bodies found a slow rhythm, rocking and grinding against one another.

Their kiss became wanton in a matter of seconds, hungry and wild with desire, with passion. Their moans filled the room in succession with the soft, breathy gasps that escapes in the miniscule of seconds they parted to catch their breath.

Regina was slick and wet against her thigh, Emma kissed her deeply before slipping a hand between their bodies, and her fingers found their way easily through her wet folds. Regina moaned into her mouth and her nails scratched down Emma's shoulder blades at the touch. Emma parted from the kiss for a moment and focused on the feel of how wet her fingers were before she placed a single kiss on Regina's lips and shifted quickly to lay between Regina's spread legs.

Regina was swollen, wet, and so ready for her. Emma could feel her own clit twitch in anticipation of tasting her for the first time. She couldn't wait and she didn't want to tease any longer. She inhaled Regina's musky scent of her arousal deeply before spreading her lips with her fingers and leaned in. Unlike Regina, the first swipe of her tongue was not tentative or slow. She licked her fully, drinking her in, pulling back just a little when the tip of her tongue grazed over the swollen nub and Regina's hips bucked off the bed.

"Emma!" Regina cried out.

Emma moaned at the taste of her, musky yet sweet in some ways, but definitely delicious. She couldn't get enough, licking over her fully once more before she wrapped her lips around the small, sensitive bundle of nerves, sucking and licking at it in succession as she braced an arm around Regina's lower abdomen to keep her from bucking her hips too hard.

Emma could feel the tremors flowing through Regina's body, her climax building and quickly, but she was relentless, licking and sucking at Regina's clit as she brought her fingers to her hole, easing one in and she tightened her hold on Regina's lower body. Emma pulled back, inhaling deeply as she caught her breath and watched as she sunk a second finger inside of her ever so slowly. As she slipped them out, her vision nearly blurred as a thunderous wave of arousal coursed through her body at seeing how _wet_ her fingers were.

She wanted nothing more than to fuck Regina hard and fast, but she managed to hold on to some sense of self-control, knowing there'd be plenty of time to take her any which way she so desired, plenty other moments after this. Emma took a few deep breaths and kissed along Regina's inner thigh, looking up at the gorgeous woman spread out before her and smiled. Regina's hand moved to take a hold of the one splayed out over her lower abdomen and she intertwined their fingers, moaning softly as Emma sank her fingers back inside of her deeply.

Emma's lips found their way back to Regina's clit and she sucked and licked in time to the steady thrusts and twists of her fingers inside her core. Regina's fingers tightened around hers, their palms sweaty against one another's as Emma brought her to a quick orgasm that caused her body to quake and tremble, her name falling out past Regina's lips over and over again.

She licked her fingers clean before taking one last swipe over Regina's cunt with her tongue and she kissed her way languidly up Regina's trembling body, and moved to lay on the bed at Regina's left side.

"God, you're beautiful," Emma whispered and she lifted her left hand to gently brush aside the hair that stuck to Regina's clammy forehead. "So beautiful."

Regina licked over her lips and ran her right hand up her abdomen, moaning as she turned on her side to fully face Emma. "You are too, Emma. So very beautiful."

Emma shook her head, disagreeing with her as Regina reached out to skim her hands along her hips, her fingers tracing lightly over the light stretch marks that had been there since shortly before Henry was born. She shook her head again, moving a hand to push Regina's away from that area, but Regina just leaned forward and kissed her softly.

"You are beautiful, Emma. Every last inch of you is beautiful," she murmured softly, her eyes drifting down Emma's body in the fading light. "Every inch."

"Regina…"

"Let me show you," she whispered, her hand trailing between Emma's legs that willingly spread for her as Emma moved to lay on her back, "just how much I love you. All of you."

Regina's fingers slipped through Emma's folds and Emma moaned throatily as her clit throbbed with need and want. Emma was turned on immensely, so much that she knew it wouldn't take much before she reached her climax. Already she could feel the delicious burn of her impending orgasm building deep in her core and she reached up to pull Regina in for a hungry kiss.

A part of her wanted to stop Regina, content in finding her release with just Regina's fingers pleasuring her, but when Regina pulled back from the kiss with a wickedly salacious smile dancing over her lips, Emma couldn't find it in her to stop her. Every kiss lingered on her skin as fingers circled and stroked over her sensitive clit. Every kiss sent tiny little earthquakes through her body and she just couldn't quite get enough.

Regina hurriedly descended down her body, but paused to place feather-light kisses along the fading stretch marks along each hip, following them down to her pelvic bone where she stopped at the thin patch of trimmed hair and settled between her legs. Her tongue slipped out and along her folds, tasting her again, no longer tentative, but bold and wanting.

Emma leaned up on her elbows and her eyes trailed down her body to look at the gorgeous woman between her spread legs. Brown eyes met her gaze and she moaned loudly, her hands moving to Regina's head and stroked her fingers through Regina's short hair lightly. She threw her head back when she felt Regina's teeth graze over her throbbing clit and then she released a throaty moan as Regina spread her lips and plunged her tongue inside her clenching hole.

"Fuck!" She cried out, moving her hands to grip at the sheets as her back arched off the bed and she used every last bit of self-control not to buck her hips into Regina's face.

Regina's fingers deftly replaced her plunging tongue and she pulled back, gasping hotly against Emma's inner thigh as she caught her breath. Emma looked back down at her and it was the most erotic sight she had ever seen. Regina's lips were wet, her eyes heady with lustful, hungry desire. Regina lowered her mouth back down and she raised an eyebrow as she slipped her fingers out teasingly. Regina's tongue was hot and wet, and Emma balled her fists around the sheets.

"Regina!" She cried out when she felt her lick the length of her cunt and continued lower, teasing lightly at her puckered hole. "Jesus…"

Regina pulled back with a naughty smirk, her fingers sliding back inside her with ease. Emma was right on the edge, she could feel it burning deep inside of her, ready to explode at any moment. When Regina curled her fingers upwards and her tongue slipped over her throbbing clit, Emma's hips bucked and shook as her orgasm thundered through her body all at once.

The release was unlike anything she'd felt before and as her body quaked, Regina licked a lazy path up her abdomen, between her breasts, until she came to a stop and settled her body down on top of Emma's, her lips ghosting over Emma's parted lips.

"Fuck," Emma murmured as she wrapped her arms around her. "That was…Jesus, Regina, are you sure you've never done that before?"

Regina chuckled lowly and subtly shook her head no. "Never," she whispered and she kissed Emma thoroughly for a brief moment before pulling back a little. Emma shook her head and placed a hand on the nape of Regina's neck, wanting to kiss her again, to taste herself on Regina's lips and tongue.

Her orgasm was still coursing through her body and her thighs twitched and stiffened. Regina rolled her hips down against Emma, eliciting a deep moan past Emma's lips. She pulled away from the kiss and ran her fingers through Regina's hair as she smiled lazily up at her.

"You are amazing," Emma whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too," Regina whispered right back.

Regina rolled her hips down against hers once more and Emma groaned. "I—I need a minute, babe," she said under her breath.

"Just a minute?" Regina asked teasingly, rolling her hips down once more for good measure before she stilled and relaxed against Emma's body. "I think I don't want to leave this bed for the rest of the night."

"Then we won't."

Regina sighed contently, laying her head down on Emma's breasts. "That's just fine with me," she whispered, her breath hot against the semi-erect nipple her lips were mere inches away from.

Emma lay there, content, and feeling happier than she could remember in a long time. She closed her eyes, basking in the feel of Regina laying against her. She just smiled as she stroked her hands over Regina's smooth back. She was ecstatic that Regina was there with her, she was delighted they had finally had their moment together, and most of all she was just _happy_.

[X]

The candles had long since burned out and the darkness of night slowly gave way to the soft light of dawn. Regina could feel her blonde lover spooning her from behind as she stirred, her body aching in the most delicious ways as a reminder of the hours, and _hours_ they had spent making love.

It was too early to wake, but she had woken up from a wonderfully pleasant dream, one that felt more like a memory and that of the most recent events that had unfolded in the last twelve hours. She placed a hand over the one Emma had resting just below her breasts and stroked her fingers over the back of Emma's hand until she felt her begin to stir. She smiled at the feel of soft, warm kisses placed along the nape of her neck and over her shoulders.

"Morning," Emma murmured, her voice husky and filled with sleep.

"Morning," Regina replied, turning her head just as Emma leaned to drop a kiss on her cheek just inches shy of her lips. "It is too early, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Emma sighed, moving to lay her head back on the pillow. "It is, but knowing the boys, they're gonna bug August to bring them home before breakfast," Emma said and she sighed again. "Which is going to be in less than an hour. If we're lucky."

Regina laid there for a moment, basking in the feel of Emma's arms around her and the warmth of Emma's body before she turned to face her. "What are we doing today?"

"Ask me that after I've had some coffee," Emma chuckled.

Regina smiled at her girlfriend and nuzzled their noses together before stealing a quick, light kiss from sleepy lips. "Where is your camera?"

Emma blinked, confusion marring her sleepy face. "Downstairs, why?"

"I want you to take a picture of me."

"Plenty of time for that," Emma echoed her words from the night before and leaned up on an elbow as she stared down at Regina. "Wait, what kind of pictures, Regina?"

"I think you know," Regina replied huskily. "Private pictures. For your eyes only."

"I'd rather have the real thing."

"You're chickening out, aren't you?" Regina teased, but Emma shook her head in denial though the look in her eyes said it all. "You are!"

"Regina, I want to take pictures of you, I want to take hundreds and thousands of them, but moments like this? The way you look first thing in the morning after we spent hours making love almost all night long? I'd rather see that for my own eyes each and every time I wake up with you in my arms," Emma whispered and she cleared her throat, a small smile curling over her lips as she reached out to tuck a few short strands of hair behind Regina's ear. "Besides, even if they are meant to be purely for my eyes only, unless I lock them up in like a safe or something, I have a four-year-old who can and will find absolutely everything in this house."

Regina thought about that for a moment and buried her face into her pillow to muffle her laughter. That would be definitely bad if Henry ever found such salacious pictures of his mother's lover. Her laughter faded when she felt Emma's lips kissing over her shoulder and she turned her head, smiling at the beautiful woman next to her.

"I wish we could spend the day in bed," Regina whispered and Emma nodded.

"I wish we could too," she said and she ducked her head in to kiss her lips briefly. "But we should get up, get the coffee going. Maybe we can squeeze in a shower together before August brings the boys home."

"Any way that we can have that shower first, Emma?"

Forty minutes later, both were dressed and cuddling in the kitchen as the coffee finished brewing. Emma couldn't seem to keep her hands off of Regina and there were no complaints since Regina couldn't seem to keep her hands off of Emma either. They were kissing passionately, hands wandering under clothes, when August let himself in the front door and Henry came running into the kitchen just as the two of them managed to pull away from one another.

August stayed for breakfast and Regina found herself falling into the Swan family routine fairly easily just as she had before, but the whole aura in the house was so very different than it had been three weeks ago. The heavy sadness no longer filled the house, and instead there was nothing but smiles and laughter, and the occasional cry from Nathan when he kept spilling his cheerios over the edge of the highchair's tray.

By nine that morning, Regina was making sandwiches in the kitchen with Henry standing on a chair at the counter watching her, helping her by attempting to wrap them up in saran wrap. Emma was upstairs packing up some things to take to the beach, as they had decided that was how they'd spend their Saturday together, and Regina could hear Nathan upstairs crying.

"How many we gonna make, Gina?"

"How many can you eat for lunch, Henry?"

Henry held up his hand and showed her two fingers. "This many."

"That's a lot!" Regina chuckled. "Are you sure you can eat two sandwiches?"

"Just in case," he said with a smirk, one that reminded Regina of Emma so very much.

"Just in case of what?"

"In case my tummy becomes a hungry, hungry sammich monster!" Henry said and he placed his hands over his belly and roared in the most adorable way.

Regina placed a dollop of peanut butter on his cheek and he squealed in delight. It was how Emma found them minutes later, both with peanut butter covered fingers and trying to get it on one another. It was a sight to see, that was for certain, and once they had cleaned up and packed the sandwiches in the cooler bag along with some juice boxes and bottles of water, they loaded the boys up into the backseat of Emma's yellow Bug and placed the bags in the back on the floor before getting in the car themselves.

"Why yellow?" Regina asked quietly as she did up her seatbelt.

"I dunno," Emma shrugged. "It's one of my favorite colors."

"Is it?"

"Yeah," Emma smiled at her. "You know, it's funny because that first paper flower you sent to me before my sixteenth birthday? The tulip? It was yellow."

Regina smiled as she reached over for Emma's hand, intertwining their fingers before she leaned across to plan a soft kiss on Emma's waiting lips. Before she could pull back, Emma leaned more into her, the kiss lingering for a few seconds.

"How did you know?" Emma whispered. "Or was it just a lucky guess?"

"I wouldn't say a lucky guess," Regina chuckled and she leaned back in her seat and fixed her seatbelt. "More and more I believe that we were drawn together because of fate."

"Fate that kept us from meeting until just three weeks ago. Fate can kiss my ass," Emma muttered lowly, loud enough for Regina to hear her, but not the boys in the backseat. Emma turned and smiled sweetly at the two boys and reached back to ruffle Henry's hair and grab on to Nathan's feet playfully, causing them both to squeal and laugh. "Ready to go to the beach, guys?"

"Yeah!" They both screamed out and Regina laughed as Emma turned back around in her seat and pulled on a pair of aviators.

"Ready, babe?" Emma asked, casting a sideways glance at her before she turned over the engine. "I'm going to take you to where I took my very first picture."

"Oh?"

"You'll see," Emma smiled and with one last kiss shared between them, Emma backed out around Regina's car and they were on the road.

It was a long drive down to the coast, almost two hours with traffic and an emergency pit stop to change Nathan's diaper. The radio was on, tuned to a CD filled with children's songs sung by children which visibly annoyed Emma, but the boys seemed to love it completely. Regina didn't mind it at all, not when she turned to look back at Henry and Nathan and watched Henry sing along as he taught Nathan to clap along to the beat.

It was forty odd miles south before Emma pulled up along the side of the road and parked the yellow Bug across the two-lane road, the gulf just on the other side of the road with a small sandy and almost deserted beach. It wasn't a public beach by any means and there were only a handful of houses nearby, but Regina found it absolutely perfect as it was a small piece of paradise in a roundabout way.

It took almost half an hour to get the boys settled on a big blue blanket Emma had laid out on the sand by some big rocks and after they had settled, Regina lounged back on the blanket with Nathan, leaning up on her elbows as she watched Emma and Henry race each other down to the water, running back up the beach to beat the waves. Every time Emma lost, Nathan squealed and clapped in delight and Regina loved that sound, just as she loved everything about that day so far.

It was a perfect day, something she had never truly had before, not even with Daniel. While she shared a lot of good memories with Daniel, somehow it felt more _right_ with Emma and her family. There was just something about the way she felt when she was around Emma and her son and her baby brother that made her feel unlike any other way she ever felt before. She didn't even have the words to describe the way she felt, but she did know she was trying not to get ahead of herself, especially not after the night she and Emma had just shared together.

She couldn't help but envision a life just like it was happening in that very moment, with Emma, Henry, and Nathan. What she had shared with Emma the night before had caused her to think of the future, more so than ever before.

And the only thing she saw clearly in her future was Emma Swan. Had it not been for that pen pal program, she knew that they would've never gotten to where they were now if it weren't for that. They would've never even met and she couldn't imagine a life without Emma Swan in it.

Whether it was fate or something else, she was just grateful in every single way. Grateful to know Emma, grateful to be a part of her life and for Emma to be a part of hers, and most of all she was grateful that her feelings were returned endlessly. The rest of her life was only just beginning and she couldn't wait to see how it would ultimately end up.


	9. Chapter 9

**Part IX**

The weeks went by quickly and Regina found herself almost too busy, submerged in her classes, assignments, and papers. She was almost too busy most days for that nightly phone call with Emma, but no matter how busy she was, she always made time. Her weekends were spent with Emma, whether she drove up to Tallahassee or Emma drove down there with the boys to spend the weekend with her.

They had fallen into a routine and while it was hard being away from Emma throughout the week, she always looked forward to the weekend she'd be spending with her. There had only been one weekend they had gone without seeing one another and it had been over Thanksgiving. Regina's mother was insistent that she stay in Gainesville since she had taken a horrendous flight filled with crying children down there to spend five long days with Regina over the holiday.

Regina got through that weekend by spending hours on the phone with Emma late a night, locked in her room, wishing it had been Emma's hand between her legs bringing her to the brink of orgasm instead of her own.

Regina had yet to tell her mother about her relationship with Emma, and she wasn't sure how she'd bring it up either. She had plenty of opportunities over Thanksgiving, especially since it was only the two of them seated around the small dining room table, but she couldn't find the right words—or any words really. Regina knew she'd have to tell her mother and soon. She and Emma had made plans to spend Christmas together at the Swan house and she had promised Emma that her mother wouldn't ruin their first Christmas together in any way or form.

The last Friday before the winter break seemed to feel the longest and as soon as her last class of the day ended, she was the first one out the door and practically sprinting across campus to the lot where she'd parked her car that morning. She made it home in record time, beating out the rush hour traffic by a hair. She had already packed a suitcase and the presents were waiting by the front door. All she had to do was take a quick shower before she got on the road and drove up to Tallahassee where she was going to spend the next two weeks with Emma and her family.

The moment she walked through the front door, her heart sank quickly. She'd recognize the scent of her mother's perfume anywhere and she frowned as she dropped her book bag near the front closet and walked into the kitchen.

"Hello dear," Cora smiled sweetly.

"Mother," Regina replied and she found herself enveloped in a tight hug. "What are you doing here?"

"Not happy to see me?" Cora asked and she pulled back from the hug, a frown sliding into place when Regina didn't respond. "It's almost Christmas, dear. I know you said you had other plans, but we always spend Christmas together, Regina. Always."

"I know."

"You were going to spend it with that friend of yours, Emma isn't it?" Cora inquired and Regina tightened her jaw. "The pretty blonde girl with the two young children?"

"Yes I am, Mother."

"Hmm, I see."

Regina chewed her bottom lip before she grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. Her mother being there was certainly a surprise, an unwelcome one. Disappointment flooded through her and she felt as if she was on the verge of tears. She downed the cold water quickly, trying to swallow past the rising lump in her throat. She tossed the empty bottle into the bin with the rest of the recyclables hard.

"Are you all right, dear?"

"No," Regina snapped. "I am not all right, Mother. I told you weeks ago that I had already made other plans for Christmas."

"Regina—"

"I stayed here over Thanksgiving because _you_ insisted that I did because _you_ showed up out of the blue just like you did today!"

"Regina, what on earth has gotten into you? Are you not happy to see your own mother?"

"No! No I am not happy to see you!" She roared and Cora's face slipped into a mask of steely anger, a look that once scared Regina when she was a young child. "I told you I have other plans for Christmas and you are _not_ going to ruin it for me!"

"Why are you getting so upset about this, dear?" Cora asked evenly. "You can see your friend any time. I don't understand why—"

"She's not just my friend," Regina snapped and she placed a hand over her mouth as soon as the words left her mouth.

"What?"

Regina took a deep breath and smoothed her hands down the front of her shirt. "I said she is not just my friend, Mother. Emma is my—my girlfriend."

"She's what?"

"Girlfriend," Regina said, mustering up more confidence as she said the words. "Emma is my girlfriend and I am spending Christmas with her and her family in Tallahassee."

"This is ridiculous," Cora laughed. "You are not gay, Regina. You were married to a man for crying out loud! You loved Daniel. You were going to spend the rest of your life with him."

"Yeah, that was the plan," Regina said bitterly. "Of course fate had decided that wasn't the way things were going to go after all. I love Daniel, with all my heart, and I always will love him, but I love Emma too. I'm in love with her."

Cora was silent as she moved to sit down at the table, reaching out blindly for the glass of cider she had helped herself to before Regina had come home. She shook her head and snapped her fingers at Regina, pointing to the chair across the small breakfast table, wordlessly ordering her to sit down.

"Mother, I wanted to tell you—"

"How long has this been going on for?"

"Mother, I—"

"How long, Regina?" Cora asked. "Don't tell me you were having an affair with this woman when Daniel was still alive."

"No, no I would never have dreamt of hurting him that way," Regina replied quickly, appalled that her mother would even think of that. "It is hard to say how long this has been going on for. I—I came down here for New Year's Eve last year to surprise her, but she had moved up to New York City before I had a chance to see her."

"I see. This is why you wanted to go to school here, Regina? To be closer to her?"

"No," she replied. "No, you know that I've always wanted to go to UF ever since you started shoving my face into those college pamphlets every goddamn afternoon!"

"Language, dear."

"No, you know what?" Regina said as she stood up from the chair and slammed her hands down on the table. "I want you to leave. Now."

"Don't be ridiculous, Regina. I am not going anywhere. I came here to spend Christmas with my daughter and that is exactly what I intend to do."

"Then you can stay here alone," Regina snapped. "I'm going to Tallahassee to spend Christmas with my girlfriend and her family just like I promised her that I would."

"Regina—"

"No, no you don't get to speak. You are in my home, uninvited may I add, and I want you to leave right now."

She shook in anger as she watched her mother's expression quickly change and she could see the hurt in her eyes. She clenched her jaw tightly and shook her head. She could not believe that this was happening, that this was how her mother found out about her relationship with Emma.

"Regina," Cora whispered quietly and she reached out for her hand. "Regina, please don't ask me to leave. I miss you terribly. I—"

"No," Regina said tightly. "No, you don't get to play the pity card right now, Mother. I told you before and I'm telling you again, I am spending Christmas in Tallahassee with Emma. You being here is not going to stop me from keeping my promise to her, not like it did when you came here over Thanksgiving and demanded that I stay here when I had plans then to spend it with her."

Cora frowned as her eyes filled with tears. "Regina—"

"I suppose I should thank you," Regina continued. "You are, after all, the very reason I met her in the first place. You were the one who signed me up for that pen pal program and if it weren't for you, I would've never known that she even existed. I would've never found my best friend, the other half of my fucking soul. Am I gay? Yes, yes I am, Mother, and it was something about myself that I never truly realized until after I realized I had fallen in love with her."

Cora fell into silence once more and she wiped at the tears that had fallen with a shaky hand. Regina too was shaking and she walked out of the kitchen, leaving her mother alone at the table, no doubt filled with a thousand different thoughts and a thousand different questions she'd later demand to be answered.

It wasn't until she was in her bedroom that the realization of what had happened truly hit her. While she had no idea how she was going to tell her mother about her relationship with Emma Swan, what had transpired had definitely not been a scenario she had previously envisioned. Panic flooded through her body all at once and she grasped at her chest before grabbing the phone off the bedside table, dialing Emma's number with a shaky hand.

"Hey," Emma said cheerfully and it was just hearing her voice that caused Regina to break down into tears. "Regina? Hey, are you okay? What's wrong?"

Regina inhaled sharply and shook her head as she tried to stop the tears. "My—my mother is here."

"Shit. Does this mean you're not coming?" Emma asked, the disappointment clear in her voice. "Babe?"

"No, I'm still coming, it's just…I told her about you, about us."

"You did?"

"Yes."

"And I take it from how upset you are that it didn't go well at all?" Emma asked quietly and Regina's bottom lip trembled. "Shit, what did she say?"

"Regina?" Her mother called out as she knocked on the bedroom door before she tried the handle, finding it locked. "Regina, can we talk, please?"

"What am I going to do, Emma?" Regina whispered into the phone. "She just showed up here, uninvited. I told her I was spending Christmas with you, but she still came!"

"I—I don't know," Emma said quietly. "Did you tell her to leave?"

"Regina?"

"I said a lot of things and yes, I told her to leave. Emma, I don't know what to do. I was planning on coming home, having a shower before I headed out on the road. I—I can't wait to see you and now that my mother is here, it just complicates _everything_."

"Maybe it doesn't have to," Emma said after a moment and Regina continued to ignore her mother on the other side of the locked bedroom door. "Bring her with you."

"Excuse me?" Regina laughed. "Did I just hear you say to bring my mother with me?"

"Yeah."

"I can't do that!"

"Why not?"

"You have no idea what she is like," Regina said lowly. "We'll never get a moment alone as long as she is there."

"Sure we will," Emma replied and Regina could almost hear the smile in her voice. "You know, August will be around. He'll keep her company."

"August?" Regina snorted lightly. "I don't think that is such a good idea, Emma."

"Regina, open the door," Cora called out before she banged on the locked door several times and Regina jumped each time. "Please, Regina, we need to talk about this."

"Bring her with you," Emma said quietly. "We can put her on the pullout. It might be a good thing, you know? Especially now that she knows about us. She can meet me, get to know me and the boys, and she can see that what we have is real."

"Emma—"

"I don't want to spend Christmas without you, Regina," Emma continued. "I'm guessing that's why your mom came down to surprise you. She doesn't want to spend Christmas without you either. Bring her with you and we'll spend Christmas together just like we planned, okay?"

Regina knew it was a bad idea. The worst. Her mother could be a real piece of work and she already knew that having her mother at the Swan house for Christmas would make their first Christmas together as a couple nothing short of a living hell. Yet, against her best judgment, she sighed into the phone softly as she came to a decision.

"Okay," she whispered. "I'll bring her."

"Babe, it's going to be okay," Emma said and Regina frowned as she went to unlock the door. "I'll see you in a few hours, yeah?"

"Yes," she replied. "I'll see you in a few hours, _we_ will see you in a few hours," she said as she opened the door to face her mother as she spoke the last few words. "I'll see you soon, Emma. I love you."

"I love you too."

Regina hung up and placed the cordless phone on the dresser by the door. "Before you say anything, Mother, I hope you packed for two weeks. I am still going to Tallahassee to spend Christmas with the woman I love, but," she sighed as she gripped on to the edge of the door tightly. "You are not staying here and you are not going to spend Christmas alone either. You have been invited to spend Christmas with us."

"Regina, I—"

"Don't say a word," Regina said tightly. "I am going to shower and once I've finished loading the car, we are leaving. We will speak on the drive up to Tallahassee."

With that, she walked past her mother and into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her hard enough to rattle the pictures that hung on the wall in the hallway. It was a bad idea, having her mother come along, but what other choice did she have? A part of her did not want her mother to spend Christmas alone. Her mother had no one else other than her and Christmas was about spending it with family, with the people you love, not alone with a bottle of cider in an empty house.

They were on the road no less than an hour later, and her mother had packed the car with the presents and their luggage while she had showered. Silence filled the car as Regina drove up the busy interstate and after twenty minutes had passed, her mother turned the radio off and let out a heavy sigh.

"Were you ever going to tell me about her?" Cora asked and Regina gripped the steering wheel tighter. "Regina?"

"I was, yes," she replied. "I just didn't know how to tell you. I wanted to tell you over Thanksgiving, I did, but I—"

"You were afraid of my reaction," Cora finished for her. "I understand. While it is quite the shocking revelation and one, if I may be honest, I never imagined I'd ever hear from my own daughter, I am not as closed-minded as you must believe I am. I have gay friends, dear."

"I know you do."

"I suspected before that perhaps you had entered a new relationship. You looked happier the last time I saw you than you did before. Does she make you happy, Regina?"

"Very much so."

Cora placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze. Regina glanced over at her briefly and saw that her mother was smiling at her. "I am happy for you, dear. You deserve nothing but happiness and love."

Regina scoffed. "Yet, when I was with Daniel, you hated the fact that I was in a relationship with someone like him even though he had made me happy and he made me feel loved."

"I learned, over time and far too late may I add, to let go of that way of thinking, dear. Your marriage with Daniel helped me change that," she said quietly. "Your happiness is all that matters."

"Thank you."

"What is she like?" Cora asked and Regina exhaled sharply as she knew to expect this from her mother, the prodding questions that wouldn't stop unless she answered them.

"She's wonderful, Mother," Regina smiled as she kept her eyes on the road. "She is unlike anyone I have ever known. She is everything to me."

[X]

Emma frantically rushed around the house, picking up toys that littered the living room floor while Henry played with Nathan by the window. While the house wasn't a mess by any means, she didn't want Regina's mother to see it in the state that it was in. Regina never minded the sometimes cluttered house, mostly the boys' toys that were everywhere, but when Emma rushed into the kitchen, she started to panic.

Dishes were piled in the sink and the counter was a mess. She had meant to do the dishes that afternoon, but she had gotten caught up in wrapping up gifts while the boys had their nap that she hadn't gotten the chance to get them done. She searched for the plug for the kitchen sink, but it was not anywhere she could find.

"Knock-knock!" August said as he walked into the back door and came to a sudden stop when Emma turned and growled at him. "Whoa, Em, calm down. What's going on?"

"Regina is on her way."

"Okay, and that is cause for panic, why?"

"Her mother is coming with her."

"Well fuck," August said under his breath. "Anything I can do?"

"Can you keep an eye on the boys for me, maybe clean up the living room a little bit?" Emma asked before she knelt down in front of the cabinet under the sink and found the plug on the shelf beside the detergent. "Shit, the house is a mess!"

"Em, it's fine," August said and he wrapped his arms around her once she had stood back up. "How much time do we have?"

"She just left about half an hour ago. I think. She said she was going to shower before she drove up."

"So, we have a few hours. Relax, okay?" August smiled. "Everything is going to be fine. We'll get the house cleaned up in plenty of time. Just think, you're going to spend the next two weeks with your woman and yeah, her mother being here might not be what you two had planned, but it isn't the worst thing in the world, Em."

"Speaking of her mother," Emma drawled and August shook his head no, holding up his hands as he backed away quickly. "Come on, man!"

"If you are trying to set me up with Regina's mother—"

"I am not setting you up with her mother, relax!" Emma laughed. "Just…keep her company, you know?"

"And how exactly am I supposed to do that?"

"You're a writer, August. You have a wild imagination. Come up with something."

Together they worked on getting the house in tiptop condition and cleaner than it had been in months. Some of the clutter was shoved into boxes that August hauled up to the small attic space and Emma managed to move most of the boys' toys back up to their room. She had lived in that house her entire life and it was only when she saw how small her old room was with all of the boys' things and toys in there that she realized that they had long since outgrown her childhood home.

The last thing she wanted on her mind was those thoughts, but they were a nice change from the panic that flooded through her every time she thought about Regina's mother being there with them for Christmas. Dread filled her when she realized she had no idea if Cora Mills would be staying the entire two weeks that Regina had planned to stay there with her and the boys, and she sincerely hoped that her mother would be gone the day after Christmas.

By seven-thirty, Emma had both boys bathed and in their pajamas, and the three of them were hanging out in the living room with the TV on to a Christmas cartoon. Nathan was laying on her chest as she laid on the couch and Henry was in his usual spot on the floor between the TV and the coffee table. She sat up, holding her baby brother to her chest, when she heard a car pull up in the driveway. She put Nathan down in the playpen and turned the volume on the TV down just as three sharp knocks sounded on the door.

She ran her fingers through her hair as she walked to the front door quickly. After she took a quick glance at the boys, she opened the door with a smile on her face. Regina looked as beautifully stunning as she always did and they immediately gravitated towards one another and fell into a tight hug. Emma wanted nothing more than to kiss her girlfriend, but when her eyes landed on her mother standing just a few feet behind her, she knew now wasn't the time to do just that.

"Hey," Emma whispered into her ear, not quite ready to let go of her just yet. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Regina whispered into her ear and sighed before she stepped out of their embrace. "Emma," she said as she cleared her throat. "This is my mother, Cora."

Emma smiled as she held out a hand towards the shorter, older woman and she was taken by surprise when Cora stepped forward and hugged her tightly. "It's nice to finally meet you," she squeaked out and Cora laughed as she leaned out of their awkward embrace and grasped on to her shoulders with a smile.

"It is nice to finally meet you too, Emma. I've heard so much about you today."

Emma smiled as she stepped back from Cora Mills and reached for Regina's hand. "The boys are still up," she said quietly. "They've been dying to see you again. They've missed you too, Regina."

Emma led the way inside and she felt Regina tighten her grip on her hand as her mother followed them into the house. Henry, who had been engrossed in the cartoon on TV, ran to Regina immediately once he saw her and it was only then that Regina let go of Emma's hand to pick him up to cover his face in millions of tiny, fluttering kisses.

"Hi Gina!" Henry laughed and he squealed when Regina didn't let up with her kisses on his cheeks. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too, Henry," she smiled at him and she shifted him on to her hip as she turned to her mother. "There is someone I want you to meet, Henry."

"Okay," he said, suddenly timid and shy as he looked at Regina's mother with wide eyes.

"Henry, this is my mother, Cora," Regina said softly. "Say hello."

"Hi Cora."

"Hello Henry," Cora smiled sweetly at him as she took his small hand in her own. Emma watched the interaction carefully as Henry looked down at his hand in Cora's and then up at her in curiosity.

Emma longed to reach out for Regina in that moment and despite how close they stood by each other, she didn't because she saw the look of apprehension on Regina's face so very clearly. Emma had been waiting all week to see Regina again, to hold her, to kiss her, just to have her there, and this was not how she envisioned the start of their two weeks together to turn out at all.

The first hour with Regina's mother was tense. And it was quiet. Too quiet. When it came time to putting the boys to bed, Emma had them in bed and asleep within fifteen minutes and when she walked out of the room, she was greeted by Regina and the very kiss she wanted to have the moment that Regina had shown up on her front door.

Emma moaned quietly as Regina backed her up against the wall near the top of the stairs. For a moment, as they kissed deeply and hands began to wander, she forgot that Regina's mother was just downstairs, she forgot that their plans had changed, and she forgot about everything else, things that mattered, things that didn't, because all she could think about was Regina.

That moment ended when they both heard Cora clear her throat awkwardly. Emma didn't drop her hands from where she had them firmly on Regina's hips and she glanced down at Cora who was halfway up the stairs. Regina didn't look at her mother, clearly embarrassed at having been caught kissing Emma.

"I need to use the washroom," Cora said tightly, climbing up the last few stairs slowly.

"Just down there," Emma said as she pointed to the bathroom door.

"Oh my god," Regina breathed out as soon as her mother had walked into the bathroom and swiftly shut the door behind her. "That was highly embarrassing."

"Just because she saw us kissing?" Emma asked and Regina nodded, stepping out of her hold and smoothed a hand over her shirt. "Regina?"

"Yes?"

"Are you all right?" Emma asked her and she nodded her head quickly. Too quickly. Emma frowned. "No, I don't think you are. What's wrong, babe?"

"Nothing," she sighed. "I should get our luggage out of the car."

"Do you want a hand?"

"No," Regina said with a small shake of her head. "I can manage it on my own."

Emma slumped against the wall and watched her descend down the stairs and out the front door. She idly wiped at her lips and dropped her hand quickly when Cora exited the bathroom. She smiled at the woman, awkwardly, but she received nothing in return, nothing but a cold, hard look.

"Where will I be sleeping?" Cora asked.

"Uh, the couch pulls out. It's pretty comfortable."

"A pullout couch," Cora deadpanned. "In the living room."

"Yeah," Emma shrugged and she scratched at the side of her neck. "Regina didn't tell you that, did she?"

"No," she said with a heavy sigh. "I suppose it'll do. Not to worry, Emma, I won't be staying long. I'll make arrangements to fly out to Boston the day after Christmas."

"Okay."

"Emma," Cora said as she came to a stop in front of her. "I want you to know that while your relationship with Regina caught me off-guard when she told me, I do support you both. Regina is happy with you, it's plainly clear and she's told me as much," she said and she inhaled deeply. "I apologize if I interrupted a moment between you two. It wasn't my intention at all."

Emma felt almost dumbfounded at Cora's kind words. She hadn't expected her to say anything at all and from the way things sounded on the phone earlier, things hadn't gone well at all when Regina had told her mother about their relationship.

"Let me get some fresh sheets," Emma said quietly and she pushed herself off the wall and walked over to the linen closet. She grabbed the sheets she'd washed just a handful of days ago and smiled as Cora reached out for them. "Let me make the bed up for you, Cora. You are the guest here."

"Thank you, dear."

Emma led the way down the stairs and she put the fresh sheets on the arm of the couch before she went to help Regina with the luggage she was struggling to carry into the house. It took a few trips for both of them to carry in the gifts that Regina brought, some were put under the tall, skinny tree beside the TV and the rest were hidden away in the front closet that they'd pull out for Christmas morning.

It felt awkward for a short while with the three of them meandering around in the living room and kitchen, but after they had a glass of wine out back together and August came around—as he always did—things started to feel a little more relaxed.

August did what he did best and kept the conversation going with Cora. By the third glass of wine, Emma found it hard to keep from shifting her chair closer to Regina, hard to keep her hands off of her, but she didn't want to make Regina feel uncomfortable in showing any affection in front of her mother and compromised by draping an arm over the back of Regina's chair.

It was almost eleven before Cora announced she wanted to retire for the night. Emma made up the pullout for her and joined Regina and August out back for one last glass of wine before they too called it a night.

"I should head home," August said, downing the last of his wine before he stood on unsteady feet. "I have a deadline to make."

"You gonna get it done?" Emma asked and he shrugged. "When is the deadline?"

"Tomorrow. Ten in the morning. They want a few chapters," he replied and he shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm behind those few chapters they're expecting. I'll get it done, one way or another."

"By writing in your sleep?" Emma smirked and he just winked at her before blowing them both a kiss. "Night!"

"Goodnight ladies!"

They watched him stumble towards the gate and after he fumbled with the latch, he entered his backyard and fumbled with the latch on his gate for a moment before he got it open. He fist pumped the air and they all laughed and Regina moved to sit in Emma's lap before August made it inside his back door.

"Hi," Emma grinned at her, the light coming from the back porch light illuminating Regina's gorgeous, smiling face.

"Hello," Regina responded before she ducked down to capture Emma's lips in a intoxicating kiss that left her body buzzing. "Oh I have missed you," she murmured softly before grasping at the back of Emma's neck and pulling her in for another kiss.

It felt like the times they spent hours just kissing and holding one another and Emma was perfectly content in just holding her, kissing her, just like she was for as long as they both could stay awake. When they pulled back, they just smiled and Emma reached for her wine glass on the table and took a sip.

"You know, it wasn't that bad," Emma said quietly. "Your mom being here," she clarified and Regina rolled her eyes.

"We'll see," she sighed. "We should call it a night," she said before she slipped off of Emma's lap. "The boys are going to be up early and it's getting very late."

"Right."

They gathered the empty wine glasses and took them inside and after they quietly made sure the house was locked up and the lights were off, aside from the one over the stove and the bathroom light upstairs, they got ready for bed.

Emma had gotten accustomed to sleeping in the nude whenever Regina was there and she was taken by surprise when Regina changed into a pair of blue silk pajamas and crawled into bed without a word. Emma changed into a pair of boxer shorts and a clean tank top before she switched off the light and crawled into bed beside Regina. She didn't need to be told to know that Regina wasn't comfortable with their usual arrangement because her mother was sleeping just downstairs. As much of a disappointment as it was for Emma, she wasn't going to make it an issue because it simply wasn't one.

They spent Saturday at the mall on the other end of the city, both of them trying to secretly buy last minute gifts for Regina's mother, an impossible feat until Cora announced she was going to go grab a coffee. With the boys in tow, they managed to buy some gifts for Cora and even had the store giftwrap them. Cora cooked that night, insisting on it as she was the guest. Emma thought that nothing would ever top Regina's lasagna, but Cora's definitely came in close.

They didn't have sex that night either. They didn't even cuddle like they did the night before and Emma spent a good portion of the night lying awake, staring at the ceiling while Regina slept soundly next to her. She was miserable by the time Nathan woke up, his cries pulling Regina from her sleep almost immediately. Emma, as she always did, slipped out of bed to get her baby brother out of his crib and his diaper changed.

Henry was excited, far too excited because it was Christmas Eve and he could barely contain his excitement as he ran down the stairs, no doubt waking Regina's mother up in the process. By the time Emma made it downstairs and into the kitchen with Nathan securely on her hip, Regina and Cora were in the kitchen, the coffee already on, and Henry excitedly telling Cora everything he'd asked Santa for Christmas.

They had planned on a big Christmas dinner and as per tradition in the Swan family, Emma had already preordered Chinese takeout that would be delivered by five that night. She wasn't worried that there wouldn't be enough food as there was always too much, but she was a little worried about what Cora would think of the Swan family Christmas Eve tradition.

By noon, the lack of sleep had driven Emma to the brink of exhaustion and Regina urged her to lay down and take a nap while the boys had theirs. Emma could barely keep her eyes open as she climbed up the stairs and she was out the minute her head hit the pillow.

"Emma?"

Emma blinked open her eyes, finding the room shroud in darkness. She sat up in bed slowly before she gasped in surprise. "Regina? What time is it?"

"The boys are already in bed," Regina whispered as she sat down beside Emma. "You slept all afternoon."

"I missed dinner?" Emma asked and Regina nodded. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I tried," she frowned. "You were dead to the world. It's okay," she sighed and she moved to lay down next to her. "I made sure there was plenty of your favorites left. August tried to eat your egg roll and it may have a bite out of it."

"It may?" Emma chuckled and she rolled on to her side. "Shit, I'm sorry I slept through dinner, Regina. I didn't sleep much last night and I—"

"I know, it's all right," Regina sighed. "You weren't lying about August keeping my mother company, were you?"

"Why?" Emma asked carefully. "What did he do?"

"He took her out dancing," she replied stoically. "Dancing. He took my mother out _dancing_ on Christmas Eve."

Emma laughed and wrapped her arms around Regina, pulling her close. "Dancing, huh? August is a good dancer and quick on his feet too. She'll have a good time tonight."

"Emma?"

"Hmm?"

Regina shook her head and moved a hand to cup Emma's cheek lightly. "I love you," she murmured quietly. "I love you so very much."

"I love you too."

"Emma?"

"Yeah?"

"Marry me."

Emma blinked, wondering if she was still sleeping, dreaming, and she exhaled sharply as she stared into Regina's eyes. "Regina? Are you serious?"

"Yes."

Emma kissed her, softly at first before deepening the kiss, her eyes filling with happy tears as her whole body sang. "Okay," she murmured against Regina's lips. "I'll marry you."

"I don't have a ring," Regina whispered. "I don't have a ring yet, but you see, I only just realized something today. Do you want to know what that is?" Emma nodded and Regina kissed her softly before she continued. "I realized that I don't want to know a life without you in it. I want this, every single day. With you."

"I want that too," she smiled. "With you. Only with you."

Soft, light and lingering kisses quickly gave way to wild and deep ones as their hands grasped at clothes, tearing them off of one another as quickly as they could. Emma could feel almost a desperate need stirring within her as their bodies slipped together with ease. They had made love many times over the past few months, but somehow this seemed so very different and so much like the first time all over again.

Regina loved to be on top and she loved to be in control, Emma had figured that out fairly quickly in their relationship. Tonight was no exception and Emma was the furthest from complaining about it since she'd been waiting for this since the last time they had spent the weekend together nine days ago. Her earlier disappointment all but disappeared with the first touch of Regina's lips against her skin.

"Come here," Emma urged as she lifted Regina's head, pulling her away from kissing along the top of her breasts. "Kiss me."

"I am."

"Here," Emma said as she brushed her lips over Regina's lightly. "Kiss me here."

Emma swept her hands down Regina's bare back, shifting until she could feel Regina's bare pussy sliding against her own. She grinned against Regina's lips, grasping her ass tightly as she pulled Regina down against her harder. Regina moaned, a little too loudly and Emma quieted her with a hard, bruising kiss.

She quickly rolled them over, Regina gasping as she arched her back against the bed. Emma grasped at Regina's hip, using her left hand to brace herself against the mattress and she rolled her hips down, sliding her cunt over Regina's hard and quick. Regina's short nails dug into her shoulders and she kissed her wantonly with hungry desire.

They made love for hours, stopping only long enough to catch their breath and to slow down their racing hearts. Regina was laying in Emma's arms, both of their bodies sweaty and exhausted, when they heard the front door open and the sound of August and Cora's laughter floated up the stairs and past the closed bedroom door.

It took them a few minutes to untangle themselves from one another and they dressed slowly with eyes lingering, wandering. After they dressed and after they shared a long, passionate kiss, they headed downstairs and into the kitchen, not surprised in the least to find Cora and August in the backyard together.

"Sounds like they had a good time," Emma said quietly as she pulled out the takeout containers from the fridge. "And it sounds like they're a little drunk."

"I'm surprised they didn't wake the boys."

"I'm surprised _we_ didn't wake the boys," Emma chuckled lowly and for that she got a playful slap on the ass from Regina. "God, I'm starving."

"Do you want to have a glass of wine before we head back to bed?"

"With them?" Emma asked as she lifted out a chicken ball, taking a bite out of it cold.

"With me," Regina said quietly. "We need to talk about what happened tonight, about what I asked you."

Emma swallowed the rest of the cold chicken ball hard. "Okay," she said cautiously.

"I am not taking back what I asked you," Regina said and she slipped her arms around Emma's hips. "I meant it. Everything I said, I meant it. I want to marry you one day and I don't want to know a life without you in it, but we need to talk about this. We didn't exactly get the chance to talk about this until now."

"Okay, so let's talk about this," Emma said quietly and she placed the cardboard takeout container on the counter. "We're not telling anyone about this, are we?"

"Not yet," Regina said softly. "Emma, listen to me, I love you and I know that you know that I do. I do want to marry you. I want a life with you. With you and the boys. I want you to know that I am serious about spending the rest of my life with you, and Henry, and Nathan. When I asked you to marry me, I wanted to know that you're in this just as much as I am."

"I am in this just as much as you are," Emma murmured and she wrapped her arms around Regina and nuzzled against her nose lightly. "Do you want to wait?"

"Yes."

"For how long?"

"Before I start my Masters," Regina replied. "A year and a half from now."

"Okay," Emma nodded. "A year and a half."

"Emma, I wanted to talk to you about a few things, but I—I don't want you to feel pressured to make a decision."

"About what?"

Regina took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "As I said before, I realized some things today and do you know what else I realized?" Upon Emma's shake of her head, Regina continued. "Two hours and forty minutes," she said. "That is how long it took me to drive up here. Sometimes it takes a little longer."

"Regina—"

"Emma, I want to be closer to you. I want to see you every day. I want to sleep with you every night. I want to see the boys every day too. I—I can't bear the distance anymore, nor can I bear the days we spend apart."

"What do you want to do?"

"I want us to find a place, someplace of our own to call home. Can we do that?"

Emma inhaled sharply. Doing that would mean uprooting from her childhood home, leaving behind a home with hundreds upon hundreds of memories she wasn't sure she was ready to let go of just yet. It was different than when she moved to New York as her parents had still been alive and she still had a home to go back to. She wanted a home with Regina, she did, she just wasn't sure if she was ready for that yet.

"Do I have to decide now?"

"No," Regina whispered. "But think about it? Can you do that?"

"Yeah, yeah of course I can. Babe, sometimes it feels like torture not being able to see you everyday like I'd love to. I know exactly how that feels. We'll figure this out, okay? One way or another, we'll figure this out."

They shared a kiss that was more than just a kiss; it was a promise, and a big one at that. When they parted, Regina just smiled at her, told her to eat so that they could put the rest of the presents under the tree, have a glass of wine, and head to bed with hopes that the boys didn't wake up before seven the next morning.

There was a different feel all around suddenly and Emma wasn't sure what to make of it, but it felt good in an unfamiliar way. It felt like everything was beginning to truly make sense. She ate the leftovers, helped Regina with the presents stashed in the front closet and the one upstairs in her own room. She had a glass of wine with Regina once the presents were all neatly arranged under the tree and the milk and cookies Henry had left for Santa had been drank and mostly eaten, crumbs left behind for Henry to find in the morning as proof Santa came. They went to bed after they both convinced Cora and August to call it a night, and after Cora was curled up on the pullout in the living room.

Emma fell asleep with Regina securely in her arms and her mind full of thoughts of the future, their future together.

[X]

Regina had always loved Christmas ever since she was a young child, she loved the magic feeling of Christmas morning, of waking up to dozens upon dozens of presents waiting for her under the tree. She loved the way Christmas morning felt, a morning unlike any other, a morning filled with magic, with wonder, with excitement. That morning when she woke up shortly after seven in the morning it was to the sounds of Henry squealing in delight in the seconds before he crawled into the bed to wake her and Emma up.

"Mama! Gina! Wake up!" Henry exclaimed as he started jumping on the bed near their intertwined legs. "It's Christmas! Wake up!"

"Henry, it's too early," Emma mumbled into Regina's neck, unmoving from the comfortable position they were both in. "Is it past seven?"

"It is!" Henry laughed and he fell on top of them both, kissing his mother's cheeks and then Regina's in an attempt to wake them up. "It's Christmas! Santa came!"

Regina chuckled as she wrapped an arm around the very excited young boy and pulled him into a one-armed embrace. "Good morning, Henry. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Gina," he grinned before he kissed her cheek and snuggled into her and his mother both at the same time. "Can we open presents now?"

"In a little while," Emma murmured quietly. "Let us wake up first, kid. Why don't you go and wake up Nathan, yeah?"

"Okay!" Henry said excitedly and he scrambled off the bed and ran out of the bedroom.

"Ready?"

"Yes," Regina sighed happily and she cupped Emma's cheek with one hand and leaned into a sweet and passionate kiss. "Good morning, my love."

"Good morning," Emma smiled and kissed her once more before pulling back and stretching out languidly. "Oh I miss the days when Henry was too young to get this excited about Christmas morning."

"You'll also miss the days when he is no longer excited about Christmas at all," Regina countered and Emma groaned quietly before they both got up and out of bed. "Shall I wake my mother and get the coffee on while you get Nathan up?"

It was nothing short of chaotic once everyone was downstairs and in the kitchen. Regina was making coffee for Emma, her mother and herself while Emma got Nathan settled in the highchair and tried to get him to drink a small bottle of milk while Henry was dancing around the kitchen, eager to go see all the presents under the Christmas tree.

It was different than any Christmas Regina ever had before, but she was enjoying it tremendously, and Henry's excitement was contagious. Once Nathan had finished his bottle, they moved into the living room where Emma quickly folded up the pullout and sat Nathan down on the floor. Regina sat on the floor with her back against the couch and Emma sat near the tree. Cora sat on the couch sipping her coffee and watching the two young boys as they eagerly opened their first of many gifts.

Most of the presents that Regina had brought with her, Emma had bought and kept at her house so Henry wouldn't discover them before Christmas morning. Regina had spoiled both the boys a little more than she knew Emma liked, but she didn't mind spoiling them at all. She had a few gifts packed away in her luggage that were meant for private time between her and Emma.

"Mama look!" Henry squealed in delight as he held up the big semi-truck that had about twenty cars in the trailer for him to play with. "Nate!" He laughed as he showed him the gift and Nathan squealed and clapped his hands together. "Don't worry, Nate," Henry said as he let Nathan take the box and poke at the cars. "I'll share it with you."

Nathan, who was still a little wobbly on his feet, stumbled over towards Regina and planted himself in her lap. Emma handed over another present to him, one that Regina helped him open. He just looked up at her with big eyes brimming with happiness and wonder.

"Cora," Emma said as she held out a gift bag. "This is from Regina and me," she said quietly, smiling as Cora put her mug of coffee down on the end table and took the bag from Emma.

"You didn't have to get me anything, dear."

"We wanted to," Regina said and she motioned for her mother to open her gift.

Her mother was the hardest person to buy gifts for most of the time because what could one get the woman who had absolutely everything? Inside the gift bag was a bottle of perfume, something Regina hoped her mother wouldn't be rude about since Emma had picked it out. It smelled nice, not like the designer perfume she normally wore, but it was light and airy. Cora spritzed some in the air before she did the same to her wrist. She smiled and pulled out the other gift from inside the bag, a white cashmere sweater.

Emma moved to sit next to Regina, already exhausted from trying to grab the wrapping paper that Henry flung everywhere with every gift that he opened. She laid her head on Regina's shoulder, smiling as Regina turned and kissed her softly on the top of her head. There were still gifts under the tree and Henry handed them both two small boxes with a big toothy grin.

"I made you something," he said excitedly and his smile faded as he turned to look at Cora. "I didn't make you nothing. I'm sorry."

"It's quite all right," Cora said softly. "Next year, dear, you can make me something if you'd like."

"Okay."

Henry's gift was a hand painted ornament. It was a simple gift, one that he had made in school, but Regina loved it all the same. Emma was on the brink of tears and she had Henry hang her ornament on the tree before she tackled him into a hug and laid hundreds of kisses all over his face.

They managed to include one of the Mills' family traditions, a big breakfast of bacon, eggs, waffles, pancakes, sausage and bacon cooked up by Cora and Regina. Regina laughed when she saw Henry's face when he took in the sight of all the food. As per usual, they had made too much and Emma called August over to join them for breakfast.

By noon, the kitchen was cleaned up from breakfast and Regina was helping Emma get the ham ready and in the oven. Her mother and August were out in the backyard with the boys and the sound of their combined laughter was music to Regina's ears. She smiled when Emma wrapped her arms around her from behind and kissed over the side of her neck lightly, her hands teasing and wandering.

"I have something for you," Emma whispered into her ear before she nipped lightly and playfully at her lobe. "Come upstairs?"

"I have something for you too," Regina grinned as she turned in Emma's embrace. "But perhaps we should wait until later tonight to exchange those gifts?"

"What kind of a gift are we talking about here?"

Regina shook her head. "It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you before you opened it, now would it?"

"It's naughty, isn't it?"

"Emma…"

"Because mine is," she murmured quietly. "Very naughty, in fact."

"Emma…"

"Come upstairs, please?" Emma asked and she pulled out the pout. The pout was something Regina found impossible to say no to at any given time. "Babe, come on, I want you to open your gift and besides," she said as she looked over her shoulder and out the window. "The boys and your mother are currently being entertained by August on that scooter you bought Henry. All I need is like five minutes."

"Five minutes," Regina gave in with a small huff. She couldn't help but smile when Emma squealed in delight and picked her up, spinning her around a few times before letting her back down on her feet. "Five minutes, Emma. I am serious."

Emma grabbed a hold of her hand and they raced up the stairs together. Suddenly Regina's nerves began to hit her as she hadn't thought much about the gift she'd bought on impulse one afternoon a week ago. She could hardly even bring herself to look at it for very long before she'd put it back in the box and wrapped it in silver paper.

Emma went straight to the closet once they were in the bedroom and Regina pulled out her suitcase from under the bed, the only thing left inside of it was her private present for Emma. She chewed on the inside of her bottom lip as Emma emerged from inside the closet with a similar sized box wrapped in shiny red paper.

"Okay, now before you open this, I just want to say one thing," Emma said in a rush as she was as nervous as Regina was feeling in that moment. "I know we haven't been too, you know, adventurous when it comes to sex, and it's fine if you're not ready for that, but I thought that maybe sometime we'd try something…different maybe?"

"Emma…"

"It's not that I don't love fucking you, because I do, a lot," Emma continued to ramble and she thrust out the gift towards Regina. "If you don't like it, it's okay. I just thought—"

"Emma, can I open it?" Regina asked patiently and Emma nodded, sitting down heavily on the bed and wrung her hands together. Regina fingered the wrapping paper and sat down next to Emma, handing over her gift. "Maybe we could open them at the same time?"

"Okay."

Regina watched Emma begin to rip away the wrapping paper, stopping about halfway as if she was waiting for Regina to do the same to the gift in her lap. It went back and forth until the paper on both gifts was off and Regina held a simple black box in her lap and Emma held a narrower red one in hers. Slowly Regina pried open the top and gasped, shutting it quickly when she caught sight of what was inside.

And then she started to laugh as Emma stared at her with nervous, wide eyes. With a shake of her head, Emma opened the red box and then she too started to laugh. She tossed the box to the side and moved to straddle Regina's thighs, grabbing on to the box Regina clutched against her lap before she cupped her face.

"I can't believe it," Emma murmured against her lips. "Basically we got the same thing for each other."

"Basically, only yours has straps."

"It also vibrates."

"Hmm," Regina moaned quietly as she slipped her hands over Emma's hips. "Does it now?"

"Want to give it a test ride?"

"Emma—"

Regina was cut off by Emma's insistent lips and each time she tried to pull back, Emma kissed her harder, deeper. The fourth time she pulled back, Emma gasped quietly. As much as Regina wanted to test drive out Emma's gift—along with the one she'd given to Emma—now was not the time for that nor was it the time to be thinking of doing such things either.

"Not right now," she whispered.

"Tonight?" Emma asked and Regina shook her head no. "Because your mom is here?"

"That and because I was hoping to be taken by you when August is watching the boys one night."

"You want me—me to take you?" Emma's eyes nearly rolled back in her head as she moaned throatily. "Fuck. Okay."

"I want you," Regina purred as she grasped at Emma's ass tightly, "to take me from behind."

"Fuck."

"We will," Regina whispered against her lips and released her. "Just not now and not tonight."

"Soon?"

"Yes, soon," Regina smiled and she waited for Emma to get up from her lap before they placed both boxes in one of the top drawers in the tall dresser, safely away from the prying eyes of both young boys in the house. "Come on, let's go down and finish preparing dinner so all we have to do later is wait for it to finish cooking and eat."

"I don't know if I can eat after all the food you and your mom cooked for breakfast."

"How about after we finish preparing dinner, we can indulge in another Mills' family tradition?"

"What kind of tradition?"

"It involves a bed, you and me," Regina leaned in and whispered lowly into Emma's ear, "and a much needed nap."

They left the bedroom laughing with their hands clasped together tightly. Regina truly did love Christmas and the magic of it all, but she was finding she loved spending Christmas more when it meant she was spending it with the woman she had fallen in love with and two young boys who meant the whole world to them both.

There were new traditions to make together, new memories that would last a lifetime and more. Already Regina could see a future with Emma and it was so much clearer than it ever had been before.

Emma was the light in her heart, Emma was the sunbeams she was chasing all along, and Emma may not have been her first love, but she knew without a doubt that Emma Swan was her one and only true love.


	10. Chapter 10

**Part X**

It was a particularly cold Friday afternoon in January when Emma packed up the Bug, ready to drive down to Gainesville to spend the weekend alone with Regina, their first weekend alone since before Christmas. She pulled the sleeves of her hoodie down over her hands and rushed back into the house to say goodbye to August and the boys.

"You sure you can watch them until I get back on Sunday?" Emma asked when she walked into the living room to find Henry on August's back and Nathan on the floor in front of him yanking on his hair. "I can call Ruby and see if she'll come over tomorrow night if it's too much?"

"Too much? Are you kidding me?" August laughed just as Nathan grabbed at the scruffy beard he'd been too lazy to shave off. "We're gonna have a boys only weekend, aren't we guys?"

"Yeah! Boys only, Mama!"

"You're going to behave yourself, aren't you?" Emma asked and she reached down for Nathan, scooping him up into her arms and exhaling sharply. "Jeez Nate, you're getting heavier every day!"

"Evy!" He laughed before he wrapped his arms around her neck to hug her tight. "Bye!"

"Bye? Already?" She chuckled and spun around before holding him upside down. "I'm not leaving right this second, silly boy!"

"Mama, how come we can't come too?" Henry asked from where he was riding on August's back like August was a horse. "I miss Gina, Mama."

"I know you do and I also know she misses you too, but Mama needs some alone time with Regina, okay?"

Henry scrunched his face. "To kiss each other all the time?"

Emma laughed and let Nathan down on the floor. "Sometimes adults need some time alone, kid. When you are older, you'll understand what I mean."

"I think it's gross," Henry said as he pulled a face.

"Oh, is it gross when I kiss you too?" Emma asked and she lunged for Henry as he squealed and scrambled to get off of August's back to run away. "That's what I thought!"

"Hey Em?" August asked, grunting as he stood up from the floor. "I think I'm getting too old for this," he muttered as he scratched over his beard. "I know why you're heading down to see Regina without the boys. You didn't tell me, but I think I get it."

"Get what?"

"You two are looking for a place together, aren't you?"

"August—"

"You know how much I'd miss you guys being neighbors, coming around to eat your food and drink your beer all the time, but I think it's good for you two, taking this step, thinking about a real future together."

"August—"

"Think you two could find a place with a room for me?" He asked jokingly but his grin quickly faded. "I'm serious, Em. I mean my novels are selling but they're no bestsellers here. I know you want to get back to work and it's hard with two boys under five to look after. I could help you out with that."

"You want to be their manny?" Emma asked him with a raised eyebrow. "Are you serious right now, August?"

He shrugged. "I wouldn't mind. I love the boys like they were my own, you know? I was literally there when you gave birth to Henry on the front lawn and I was there when your mom had Nathan too early and during all those rough nights he was still in the hospital and even after he first came home and you all we're too exhausted during those three in the morning feedings and I came around to help out, give you all a few extra hours of sleep. These boys, Em? They mean the fucking world to me."

"Dude, language!" Emma hissed as she glanced down at Nathan on the floor, ignoring them and happily content in playing with one of Henry's old fire trucks on the floor. "You know I would love to have you around wherever we ultimately decide to go, August. You are family and nothing will ever change that. Honestly, these past couple of months? I don't know what I would've done without you."

"You getting sappy on me, Em?" August grinned and he reached out to pull her into a tight hug. "I don't know what I'd do without you either."

"Can I tell you a secret?" Emma asked as she pulled back from their embrace.

"You can tell me anything, you know that."

"Regina basically asked me to marry her."

"What?" August exclaimed, his voice changing several octaves. "She did? When?"

"On Christmas Eve, when you took her mother out dancing and got her drunk."

"Actually, Cora was the one who got me drunk, but wow, really? She asked you?"

"She did."

"You said yes, didn't you?"

"Of course I did," Emma laughed and August hugged her again. "And you are right. This weekend we are looking for a place together. Regina found a few places we're going to check out, but most of them are close to Gainesville. She still has like a year and a half left before she can start her Masters and uh, well, she wants to get married before she starts that."

"Shit," August muttered. "Shit! You two are serious about this, aren't you?"

"I love her, August. I didn't think it was possible to love someone like this until I fell in love with her. If we had met any other way, I doubt we'd be where we are now, you know? I guess that's the one other thing Neal was good for. He got me into this pen pal program as a way to save my ass from getting into some major trouble during my last stint in juvie. I would've never met her if it weren't for him and that program he helped set up, you know?"

"Fate," August nodded and he pulled her in for yet another hug. "That's what it was, Em. Fate. It doesn't always work the way we want it to, but sometimes it does when we least expect it to. When I first met Regina, let me tell you that I had no idea what a woman like her was doing with someone like you."

"Hey!"

"The more I see you two together, the more it makes sense," August finished. "Your parents, they had a love like that. It is one that only comes once in a lifetime."

They shared one last hug before Emma went off to look for Henry to say goodbye. She found him hiding behind the open back door, knowing he was there because it had been closed before she had taken her bag out to the car. After she reminded him, yet again, to behave for August and to take it easy on him, she went to say goodbye to Nathan who was stumbling around the living room, trying to chase after August.

Just for a moment she watched Nathan and she smiled, remembering when he first started to walk, a milestone that came a little later than it had for Henry. Nathan would have some developmental challenges in his life because he had been born too early and Emma was doing all that she could to help him get caught up.

"Remember to keep talking to him," she said to August. "Get him to repeat words back. He's getting better at almost making out some of them."

"I know. Use the flashcards," August replied as he pointed over to the stack of cards on the coffee table. "Don't swear in front of the boys, no beer until after they're in bed, no walking around the house in just my boxers, and no strippers. Anything else?"

Emma laughed and picked Nathan up, covering his face in kisses. "You be good for Uncle August, Nathan. I'll be back before you know it."

Nathan smiled at her, cooing as he hugged her, his little arms tight around her neck. When he let go, he just stared at her for a moment, before he placed a tiny, chubby hand on her cheek. "Mama?"

Emma felt the room start to spin as her mouth dropped open and she looked over at August. The look on his face, one of surprise, told her he'd heard it too. She inhaled sharply, kissing Nathan on the forehead before handing him off to August. She grabbed her wallet, her phone, and her keys, and headed out the front door without another word.

She called Regina to let her know she was heading down, keeping the call short before she got on the road. Over and over in her head she heard Nathan's first clear word he had said that wasn't yes, no, or okay, or even broken parts of other words he tried to repeat. It had been so _very_ clear.

After an hour on the road, she started to panic. Nathan thought that she was his mother, not his sister. He was too young to remember their parents, too young to know Emma as anyone else other than "mama", likely picking it up from Henry because that is all Henry ever called her. Should she have corrected him instead of saying nothing? Should she have tried to explain that she wasn't his mother even though it was clear that is exactly how he looked at her? As another wave of panic washed over her, she pulled to the side of the road and called Regina.

"So, I need to talk to you about something," Emma said the moment Regina answered the phone. "I'm kind of freaking out."

"Emma, please tell me you are not driving right now."

"I pulled over," she replied. "Nathan called me Mama."

"Did he?" Regina said quietly. "When?"

"Right before I left, when I was saying goodbye."

"And you are freaking out over that?" Regina asked. "Emma, I'm afraid this is something you should've expected."

"Something I—are you kidding me?"

"Think about it," Regina said calmly. "You are the only woman taking care of him every day. You put him to bed every night, you treat him like he is your own child, and you shower him with love and affection. Of course he thinks you are his mother, Emma."

"But I'm not!"

"I know, and maybe when he is older you can explain everything to him when he can understand things much better."

"Regina," she frowned and jumped a little when a passing car honked its horn loudly at her. "I'm his _sister_ , not his mother."

"But he doesn't know that. He hears Henry call you Mama all the time and somehow he has interpreted that in the only way he can understand by thinking you are his mother too. You don't need to freak out over this," Regina said, her voice soothing and soft. Another car drove past, much faster than the last and it caused the Bug to sway in its wake. "Can we talk about this when you get here? How far are you?"

"Almost halfway," Emma replied. "Shit, I can't believe I'm freaking out over this, Regina. I almost had a full-blown panic attack. What do I do?"

"What do you think you need to do?"

"I don't know. It almost feels wrong."

"It's not wrong. He's a baby, Emma, he doesn't know any better yet."

"I don't want him to be confused when he's older," Emma sighed. "He doesn't remember them. He'll never remember them and if he thinks I'm his mother, he'll never love the one that truly was."

"He will know them when he's older, Emma, you'll make sure of it. We all will. He will know what kind and loving parents he had before they were so cruelly taken from this world. He will know just how amazing they were and the sacrifices they had made, big and small. He will also know just how amazing his big sister is, raising him as her own."

Emma smiled, not amazed in the least that Regina had helped her through her panic attack with ease. "Have I told you how much I love you yet today?"

"You have," Regina replied and Emma could almost see her brilliantly beautiful smile as she spoke. "But, I'd much rather you come here and show me."

"Regina…" Emma groaned quietly. "I'll get back on the road right now. I'll see you soon."

"Be safe," Regina said. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Emma was back on the road in a matter of minutes, merging into the sudden influx of traffic. She felt better after talking to Regina, less panicked, less tense, and definitely less worried about the future with her baby brother mistaking her as his mother. She thought more about what Regina had said and the more she thought about it, the more she realized that it was something she really should've seen coming a mile away.

They would talk more about this, Emma was sure of it, but this weekend had been planned as one they'd spend entirely alone and completely kid-free for a reason. They did have their usual alone time over Christmas and the last couple of weekends, but they were never truly alone. The last weekend when Regina had driven up to visit and August had the boys over at his place for a couple of hours, they had been interrupted by August calling because Henry wasn't feeling well.

Was it so bad that Emma just wanted to test out the private gifts that she and Regina had given to each other for Christmas? Regina refused to use them with the boys in the same house, even late at night when they were dead asleep. It was frustrating Emma to no end because like it or not, their time alone completely kid-free was always going to be a rarity for many, many years to come.

Emma stepped on the gas pedal a little harder, zooming past a few slower cars as the Bug rattled and the engine tried to protest against the high speed. She slowed down when she reached a stretch without any cars and she rolled down the window, pleasantly surprised that the cold snap that plagued Tallahassee hadn't stretched out too far over the state.

[X]

Regina hadn't been expecting any visitors aside from Emma, so she was surprised when her old dorm roommate showed up at her door shortly after she had gotten off the phone with Emma. She was grateful though, since her laptop hadn't been working and she needed it to complete some of her papers, and Charlie was the first and only person she knew that could fix it for her without any additional problems.

She had Charlie get set up in the guest room she used as an office and she'd retreated to the kitchen to make some coffee while Charlie fixed her laptop. She brought her a cup of coffee and watched her for a few minutes, growing bored and a tad impatient. After informing Charlie she was going to finish cleaning up the kitchen she'd started just before the phone call from Emma and Charlie's sudden visit, she left her alone and returned to the kitchen.

Regina busied herself with wiping down the counters and the cupboards, and when that was done, she moved to the living room, gathering up her textbooks that were strewn over the coffee table and piled them neatly on one end. She kept checking the time, eagerly waiting for Emma to arrive and at the same time, hoping that Charlie would finish up and leave before Emma showed up.

The truth was, she was in no ways "out" to those she went to classes with. She kept to herself mostly and even those who she considered just beyond the planes of acquaintances, she was a very private person and never shared any intimate details of her life outside of campus. When she had roomed with Charlie, they never talked about personal details and Charlie seemed to know right off the bat that Regina was a private person, never asking her questions beyond the very basics, and never beyond what Regina had told her of Emma during that first trip to Tallahassee.

By the time she heard Emma's Bug pull up in the driveway and the brakes squealing as she came to a sudden stop, panic filled her and she cast her eyes over to the guest room, knowing that she didn't have a moment to rush into the office to ask Charlie to leave before Emma came rushing through the front door.

"God, I missed you," Emma murmured, dropping her bag with a loud thump before she pulled Regina into her arms. She wasted no time in kissing her and as much as Regina wanted to stop her, she wanted to kiss her even more.

Emma slipped her hands to grasp at her ass as she led her backwards into the living room and Regina moaned, her hands sinking into Emma's wild, long hair as she gave into the heated passion growing between them. She did, however, come to her senses when she felt Emma's hands slide around to her front and deftly began to unbutton her blouse.

"Emma," she groaned as she pulled back. "Wait."

"Don't wanna wait," Emma gasped, pulling at each button a little quicker. "Can't wait."

She was utterly powerless against Emma at the best of times and it was too easy to give in to the way Emma's lips trailed down her neck, to the way her hands slid up her abdomen to cup her bra-covered breasts. Regina stumbled back, knocking off her textbooks from the coffee table and they landed on the floor with a loud bang.

"Regina?"

Emma pulled back immediately. "Who is that? Regina?"

Regina groaned and quickly tried to button her shirt, but Charlie walked out of the office in that very moment. She groaned again at the look on her former roommates face, a look of surprise and bewilderment.

"Hey," Charlie said as she nodded at Emma. "I'm Charlie."

"Emma," she replied and she looked at Regina. "You should've told me you had company, Regina."

"I—"

"Charlie? Old roommate Charlie?" Emma asked as she walked over to her and she outstretched her hand with a smile. "Nice to meet you."

"Hi," Charlie grinned. "Emma—oh, you are the one that Regina was always talking about, aren't you?"

"Unless there is another Emma she's been talking about that I don't know about then yeah, that'd be me."

Charlie laughed. "I'm just here to fix Regina's laptop. I wasn't supposed to come around until Sunday, but something came up and I thought I'd come around to see if I could fix it this afternoon."

Regina tried to subtly finish buttoning up her blouse, but she wasn't subtle nor was she quick enough. Charlie raised an eyebrow before pointing at Emma and then over at Regina. Regina frowned, her cheeks flushed, and she swallowed thickly past the rising lump in her throat.

"Oh," Charlie said softly. "Oh, I'm sorry. I—I interrupted something, didn't I?"

"Charlie—"

"No, you don't need to explain. Do you want me to just take your laptop with me? I can have it back to you by Sunday night if that's all right?"

"Charlie—"

"No, it's no bother. I should've just asked you to do that in the first place. The whole system needs to be reinstalled after I try to save most of your files. Virus. I can fix it, it'll just take some time."

"Thank you, Charlie. Do whatever you need to do. I do appreciate it," Regina said quietly as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Charlie—"

"Hey, don't let me keep you two from your little reunion," she said with a wink and a smile. "Let me just get my things and I'll be out of your hair."

Regina watched her hurry back into the office and she didn't look over at Emma to know that she was a little baffled by what had just transpired. She didn't look at Emma until after Charlie had left and she wasn't surprised to see the frown on Emma's face.

"Emma—"

"You didn't tell her, did you?" Emma asked, her frown deepening. "Babe, how many people know you're in a relationship with a woman, with me?"

"The ones that matter," Regina replied instantly. "Emma, I am not hiding what we have. I'm not. We weren't even together when I was rooming with Charlie."

"It doesn't matter," Emma said and she moved to wrap her arms around Regina once again. "Hi."

Their lips met slowly, the kiss starting off light and sweet. Regina knew that Emma was horny from the way she had all but attacked her the moment she walked in the front door and she was feeling her whole body heating up once more. She loved the way Emma just took her when she was in that mood, hungry and needing. She loved the way Emma's hands felt as they touched her body, sometimes feeling like they were everywhere all at once. She loved the way that Emma's body arched into hers, and most of all she love the ever so responsive way Emma's body reacted to even just the smallest of touches.

Soon, she hoped, they wouldn't have to go five days without seeing each other and only just a few hours during the day, sometimes more. Soon they would be able to sleep in the same bed every night and wake up together every morning. Soon they would make and share a lot more memories, together and with the boys.

Just thinking of that made her kiss Emma harder, deeper. She could feel the heat radiating from Emma's body as her hands roamed over her back and under the sweatshirt she was wearing. She pulled back with a small shake of her head.

"What? It was cold back home when I left. Freak cold front or something."

"And you didn't think to stop somewhere to take it off?"

"No," Emma shrugged. "All I could think about was coming here as quickly as I could without breaking the speed limit."

"Did you?"

"Little bit," Emma said with a coy smirk. "Can you blame me?" She asked. "Listen."

"I don't hear anything."

"Exactly," she chuckled and she spun Regina around playfully. "No kids. No kids for two nights and two days. Do you realize how fucking amazing this weekend is going to be?"

Regina couldn't help but laugh. While she adored spending time with Henry and Nathan, she had to admit that a whole weekend alone with Emma was definitely going to be nothing short of amazing.

"How much time do we have?" Emma asked, letting Regina back down to her feet but not letting go. "Before we have to go see the house? How much time do we have?"

"Not enough time," Regina murmured and she clutched at Emma's shoulders tightly, a frown sliding into place when she saw the disappointment in Emma's eyes. "I'm sorry. I should've told you when you got here. I—if Charlie hadn't been here, we might have had enough time."

"It's okay," Emma said as she tried to hide her disappointment. "Can I just kiss you?"

"Of course you can."

[X]

The house Regina had lined up for them to see wasn't too far from the place she was currently renting. Emma liked the neighborhood almost from the moment Regina turned on to the street. Emma had told her about the things that August had said to her and Regina immediately had agreed it was a good idea if they tried to include him in the new phase of their lives. She was surprised Regina had been so quick to agree, but then again, August was part of the family and like herself, Regina didn't want to leave him behind.

When Regina pulled up in front of the house, it was much bigger than Emma had thought it'd be. It had two floors and a detached garage in the backyard. The landlord, an older gentleman, was waiting for them on the front porch. After she and Regina just exchanged a look, they got out of the car and walked up the front walkway together.

After some formalities were exchanged, the man, Jacoby Nichols as he had introduced himself, led the way into the empty house. Emma was worried right from the start that the house was going to rent out for far too much and that they'd be swamped trying to make rent, pay the bills, then there was Regina's tuition to worry about—even though Regina had told her time and time again that she was going to deal with that alone.

"How much is this place?" Emma whispered as they followed the man up the stairs to the second floor to look at the bedrooms. "Regina?"

"Not much more than the place I'm renting right now," she replied quietly. "Do you like it?"

Emma nodded. She had liked what they'd seen so far, the first floor rather spacious and open. "Mr. Nichols, how many bedrooms are there?" Emma asked once they'd reached the stop of the stairs.

"Four. Two of the bedrooms have an en-suite."

"Four?" Emma's eyes went wide at that. "The boys will be able to have their own rooms," she said with a smile as she looked at Regina.

"You have children, miss?" He asked and Emma nodded. "How many, may I ask?"

"Two boys. One is almost five and the other is just over a year old."

The man smiled politely before showing the first of the four bedrooms. By the time he showed them the master bedroom, Regina seemed to be sold, but Emma wasn't too sure. The house was older and it needed some work, some love and care to truly make it a home that would work for all of them.

The tour continued out in the backyard where they were shown the double garage and the small studio space above it. It was only then that Emma was convinced this place was perfect for them. August would be perfectly happy to stay in the studio space above the garage, and the garage itself would be useful as she knew how much August loved to get into woodworking projects whenever the inspiration struck.

Jacoby Nichols left the two of them alone out on the driveway in front of the garage to discuss quietly what they thought of the house. Emma shoved her hands into the back pockets of her jeans and stared up at the porch that wound its way around the entire house. She tried to envision herself living in the house, tried to envision the boys playing in the surprisingly shady backyard that was big enough for one of those temporary blow-up pools. She tried to envision living in that very house with Regina and August living above the garage.

"What do you think?" Regina asked quietly. "Do you like it? Do you think it's enough room for all of us?"

"It's definitely big enough," Emma nodded. "It's kind of perfect, actually."

"You're just worried about the rent?"

"A little bit," Emma nodded. "The money from my parents' insurance, I'm trying to save that for when Nathan is older. I'm going to have to get a job."

"Emma, I told you before, if the rent is a little more than you're comfortable with, we can find something else, something smaller, cheaper, if that puts your mind at ease."

"The boys would have their own room here," Emma continued. "August could move into the studio above the garage," she sighed. "It seems like a good neighborhood too."

"There is a school just two blocks from here. I've checked into it and it's a good school."

"Is it?"

"Yes," Regina smiled and she moved to take one of Emma's hands out of her back pocket and intertwined their fingers together. "Mr. Nichols informed me over the phone this morning that we're not the only ones viewing the house. If we're going to make a decision, it needs to be soon."

"It needs a little bit of work," Emma said quietly. "Some paint, you know, and a little bit of love to make it feel like home. What do _you_ think, Regina?"

"I think we can make it work if you feel this is the right one. There are always other houses we can look at if this doesn't feel right to you."

"It's perfect though," Emma sighed and she glanced down at their joined hands. "I think we should do it. I think we should put an application in. I just—I don't see how we'll get the house. You're in school and I'm not currently working."

"Mr. Nichols is well aware of our situation and I happen to know that his wife is a fan of your work."

"Is she?"

Regina just smiled. "Yes. It just happened to come up in our conversation on the phone this morning. If you want to do this, Emma, we'll do this."

"Okay," Emma nodded. "Okay, let's do this."

They met up with the man out front and he led the way back into the house where the two of them filled out an application in the kitchen together. Jacoby Nichols promised to contact them by no later than Tuesday morning whether or not they had been the chosen applicants for the house. As they were leaving, another couple was arriving to look at the house. Regina did her best to reassure Emma that their chances were high as she believed they had both made a good impression on their potential future landlord.

They stopped on the way back to Regina's to grab some takeout for dinner, Regina choosing the healthier chicken salad wrap the small restaurant offered and Emma, as always, the greasy bacon cheeseburger with the works and french fries on the side. Emma called the house after they'd eaten and settled down in the living room with a glass of wine to say goodnight to the boys and to check in with August that they'd been behaving themselves since she'd left earlier that afternoon.

Emma didn't tell him much about the house, not wanting to get too excited about the place they might end up calling home within a month or two. After she'd said goodnight to the boys a second time, she hung up the phone and Regina curled up against her side as they sat in comfortable silence together.

She hadn't thought much about their initial plans since they'd left to view the house, but now that they were comfortably settled down for the evening, those thoughts came rushing right back to her as she sipped her wine. With those thoughts came the fantasies that Emma had been having for weeks. Her mind was suddenly clouded with lust and she downed the last of her wine, placing the empty glass on the coffee table before she moved to pull Regina into her lap.

Regina laughed and finished her glass, reaching out to place it next to Emma's before she turned and straddled Emma's thighs. She ran her fingers through Emma's hair lightly, staring into her eyes for a moment with a smile dancing over her lips.

"Is it too early to go to bed?" Regina asked, her eyes shining, her smile teasing and playful as she continued to stroke her fingers through Emma's hair. "Or should we—"

"It's never too early to go to _bed_ ," Emma replied lowly. "But I think that I need a—"

"Shower?" Regina finished for her with a knowing nod. "It's been a long day."

"Yeah."

"Or," Regina said and her fingers stroked over the nape of Emma's neck. "We could run the bath, soak for a little while together?"

Emma shook her head no, her hands slipping under the hem of Regina's blouse and smoothed her palms over the soft skin of Regina's lower back. She took a moment just to really look at her, to really take in the way Regina's brown eyes sparkled in the dim light of the living room, eyes that were filled with so much love that Emma almost couldn't believe it was all meant for her.

"How did I ever get so lucky?" Emma murmured, a question that she hadn't meant to say aloud. Regina just smiled widely at her as she continued to stroke her fingers over the nape of Emma's neck. "Seriously, how did I ever get so lucky, Regina? To be with someone like you?"

"That is a question I ask myself at times when you look at me like the way you are right now," she whispered. "I love you so very much, Emma."

"I love you so very much too."

The kiss they shared was deep, it was passionate, and it was filled with promise, love, and hope. There hadn't been many times when a kiss felt so intense as that one had, and when they parted, Emma saw the tears in Regina's eyes, tears that Regina was trying to blink away without any success.

"You know what?" Emma asked and she reached up with her left hand to wipe away a few tears from Regina's cheek. "Let's go soak in the tub for a little while."

Regina smiled and rose from Emma's lap swiftly. "I'll go run the water. Can you grab the wine, Emma?"

"Yeah," Emma breathed out heavily. "I'll be there in a few," she said once Regina had walked out of the living room.

Emma grabbed her bag where she'd left it by the front door earlier and then she grabbed the half-empty bottle of wine and their glasses off the coffee table. She walked into Regina's bedroom, placed her bag on the immaculately made bed, and placed the wine and the glasses down on the dresser.

She could hear the water running in the bathroom and the sound of Regina humming lightly. She smiled and stripped out of her clothes before she pulled open the zipper on her bag and pulled out the small box she'd packed under a few of her t-shirts. The purple feeldoe Regina had given her for Christmas wasn't intimidating in size at all, it was slender and barely six inches long.

Emma dropped it on to the bed when she heard soft footsteps approaching her from behind and she relaxed when she felt Regina's nude body press up against her back. She turned for a kiss, placing her hands over Regina's that had fallen to rest on her hips and when they parted, Regina just smiled and reached for the feeldoe with ease. She ran the bulb over Emma's slit, wordlessly asking for permission to slip it inside of her. Emma wet her suddenly dry lips and widened her stance.

"Have you…tested it out yet?" Regina murmured, her lips falling against her bare shoulder. "Or have you been waiting for a moment such as this?"

"For this," Emma breathed out and she closed her eyes as Regina slicked her fingers over her cunt, pulling the feeldoe away from her. "Babe, I thought we were going to soak in the tub for a little while?"

"We are," Regina whispered, easing a finger inside her slowly, teasing her. "Were you planning on fucking me with this while we were in the tub?"

"No?"

"No?"

"I mean I'll admit that I was debating it," Emma chuckled lightly. "But there is one thing I can't quite get out of my head and that is taking you," she said under her breath as she moved to face her fully. "On your hands and knees, sliding in you from behind."

Her arms went around Regina's waist just as Regina's knees buckled. Emma laughed just before she captured Regina's lips in a hungry kiss that left her own knees buckling. They managed to make their way out of the bedroom and into the bathroom without letting go of one another and without parting from one kiss after another for more than mere seconds at a time.

Things cooled down while they soaked in the large tub together. Regina sat between Emma's legs and laid her back against Emma's front. They didn't talk much; they just enjoyed one another's company in comfortable, easy silence. Emma loved those quiet moments with Regina more than anything else. It was so easy just to be herself around Regina without worrying that she'd say something wrong or do something that was deemed socially unacceptable. Regina had, right from the very beginning, right from the very first letter, accepted her for who she was.

They stayed in the tub until the water started to cool and after they'd rinsed off under the hot spray of water from the shower head, Regina's phone began to ring and she sprinted off out of the bathroom with a white towel loosely wrapped around her body to answer the call.

Emma wrapped her towel around her body and strolled out of the bathroom, smiling at the sound of Regina's laughter drifting out of the bedroom. Emma walked up behind Regina and kissed along her neck as she spoke into the phone.

"This is wonderful news, Kathryn," she said and she swatted playfully at Emma's hands that were tugging at the towel wrapped around her body. "I will absolutely take a week off and fly up to Boston. I wouldn't miss being there for the world, Kat, you know that."

Emma continued to kiss over her neck and down along her shoulders, tugging on the towel until it gave away and fluttered to the floor. Regina bit back a moan and she pulled the phone away from her ear, placing it against her chest.

"Emma, give me five minutes please? Kathryn just had her due date confirmed."

"When is it?"

"First week of February, she's due on the third and if she doesn't go into labor they are going to induce her on the fifth," Regina replied and she moaned quietly as Emma's hands slid over her stomach and up over her breasts. "Emma, five minutes, please?"

"Okay."

"Emma says hello," Regina said once she lifted the phone back up to her ear. "Do you and Frederick know the sex of the baby yet? A surprise? What about the nursery?"

Emma moved to lay on the bed, her eyes locked with Regina's as she slowly teased open her towel and ran her hands along the top of her thighs. It was only a little tease meant to get Regina to put a quicker end to the call with her pregnant best friend, but as Emma spread her legs and her fingers barely skimmed over her cunt, she was a little surprised at the curt way Regina ended the call.

Emma sucked in a sharp breath and slicked her fingers over her cunt, watching Regina as Regina's eyes drifted to the hand between her partially spread legs. Regina knelt on the edge of the bed near Emma's feet and licked over her lips slowly, her eyes clouding over with lust as Emma teased her fingers over her clit.

She moaned as Regina began to slide her hands up her legs slowly. "I remember what you said on Christmas," Regina said and she placed a kiss on the inside of Emma's right knee. "About not being sexually adventurous. I want that to change."

"Babe…"

"Don't stop," Regina murmured the instant Emma's fingers stilled. "I want to watch you touch yourself."

Emma bit her bottom lip and continued to stroke her fingers over her clit under Regina's watchful gaze. Regina's hands grasped at Emma's thighs, spreading her legs further apart as Emma's fingers picked up speed. Normally it took her a while to get herself even close to the edge alone, but with the way Regina was watching her and rubbing over her thighs, she was being brought to the edge within seconds.

Regina took Emma's other hand and lifted a single finger to her lips, sucking it in slowly as Emma continued to rub her clit. Regina moved to hover over her lower abdomen and guided the finger she'd just wet between her legs.

"Fuck me the way you're fucking yourself," Regina murmured erotically before she fell forward, bracing herself with both hands. Her hot breath fell upon Emma's lips as Emma deftly slipped a finger inside of Regina and then one inside of herself.

Regina never swore much, and she almost never talked dirty during sex. For Emma, it was an incredibly amazing turn-on and she knew that Regina was well aware of that. She knew because in more recent weeks Regina had been making more of an effort of doing just that whenever they had some time alone—naked time at that.

Emma groaned as Regina started to roll her hips, wordlessly begging for Emma to fuck her harder. Never one to deny Regina the pleasure she craved, Emma slipped a second finger inside of her as she slipped a second one inside of herself. She was already on edge, but she'd been holding back, not wanting to get off too easily and not without Regina.

Suddenly they were kissing, the kiss deep yet sloppy as Regina rode her fingers steadily. Emma slipped her fingers out from inside of herself and blindly reached for the feeldoe that was just slightly out of reach. She snaked her arm around Regina's waist and without pulling her fingers out from inside of her, she reversed their position and grinned as she wiggled her eyebrows at how it left Regina breathless.

"Let me," Regina whispered as they both moved to grab the feeldoe at the same time. She gently pushed at Emma's chest.

"Regina—"

"Let me," she repeated. "Let me and I'll let you fuck me as hard as you want, any way that you want."

Emma moved to kneel on her knees, her legs spread and her whole body suddenly tense as Regina moved to kneel in front of her while taking the feeldoe firmly in her hands. Emma watched and her breath hitched as Regina licked over the bulb of the feeldoe slowly, coating it generously with saliva before she lowered it towards Emma's cunt. With the fingers on her left hand, Regina slicked them between her slit and parted her lips. She barely looked down, her eyes locked on Emma's as she eased the bulb inside of her slowly.

"How does it feel?"

"Tight," Emma breathed out as she felt her cunt adjusting to the new sensation. "Good."

"Good?" Regina repeated as she tugged on it and it caused Emma to clench and moan all at once.

"Do we need lube?"

"My love, your fingers were just inside me moments ago, was I not _wet_ enough?"

Emma surged forward, kissing Regina with everything that she had. They tumbled down together with Emma on top, Regina on her back, and it was nothing like the way they had both fantasied since Regina had uttered those words about Emma taking her for the first time from behind.

Emma drove her hips down, eliciting the sexiest moans past Regina's lips that she had ever heard and it only caused her to keep going, to push harder, faster, until Regina's nails dug into the skin of her shoulders and they both could hardly contain themselves. It felt unlike anything Emma had felt before and she was on the brink of orgasm, the base of the feeldoe rubbing against her tender, throbbing clit with every thrust.

Regina wrapped her legs around Emma's hips, slowing her down a little. All it took was a soft yet lingering kiss and the pace changed completely. Every breathy moan that slipped past her lips was mirrored by a gasp from Regina. Her short nails scratched along Emma's back, some strokes harder than others. At times her hands sunk into Emma's damp hair to crush their lips together in a bruising kiss.

Despite how close Emma had been before, just teetering on the edge of ecstasy, she just couldn't find her release. The base of the feeldoe was hitting her clit with every thrust, but the angle was off. She grunted in frustration and only stopped when Regina moved her hands to her hips to stop her.

"What is wrong?" Regina whispered. "Is this not okay?"

"I can't get there," Emma murmured. "You?"

"Almost."

"Can we try something different?"

Regina bit her bottom lip before nodding her head. Emma slipped out of her and moaned at the sight of the purple silicone just glistening with Regina's arousal. She readjusted it inside of her before watching Regina move to kneel on her hands and knees in front of her. Emma smoothed her hands over Regina's delicious ass before she teased her fingers over her dripping, swollen hole.

"Emma…" Regina moaned, her arms shaking as she struggled to hold herself upright. Emma slicked her fingers over her slit once more, a feather-light and teasing touch that served as both pleasure and torture to Regina. "Don't tease me. _Fuck_ me."

Emma breathed out shakily before grabbing the hilt of the feeldoe and guided it inside of Regina, the silicone sliding inside of her much easier than the first time as she was so wet and so ready to be fucked. Emma moved her hands to grip at Regina's waist, pulling her back with every deep yet slow thrust.

"Emma," Regina sighed out. "Fuck me like you want to."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't," she gasped when Emma thrust hard, fast, and deep inside of her without warning. "Just like that."

The angle was different and it made the base press up against Emma's clit in a much more pleasurable way. Combined with the sounds that were escaping past Regina's lips and she was well on her way towards the edge, her orgasm stirring and building inside of her slowly yet surely.

Regina continued to beg her to fuck her harder and every time she thrust as hard as she could manage without hurting Regina, the way Regina gasped, moaned, and gripped at the comforter as she struggled to stay upright only caused Emma's pleasure to increase more and more. She thrust hard a few times, three to be exact, the third causing Regina's arms to give and she landed on the bed with the side of her face pressed hard just below the pillows.

Emma's hands moved to Regina's ass, gripping at a pliable flesh in an uncontrollable grip that left her skin red when Emma moved her hands away. Regina's hips were bucking in time to every hard thrust Emma delivered and when she noticed Regina had slipped a hand between her own legs to rub at her clit, a wave of hot arousal surged through her body all at once.

Sweat gleamed over Regina's body and Emma found the sight erotically pleasing to her. This was why she hadn't been able to find her release because this was the fantasy that had been playing in her mind for weeks.

Emma moved her right hand to tease her fingers along the crack of her ass, stopping when she reached Regina's puckered hole. She slowed her thrusts down, almost stopping as she tested new waters between them and pressed the tip of her finger against the tighter, smaller hole.

"Emma!" Regina howled in surprise, but she didn't try to pull away, and instead she just pushed back against Emma's finger. "Fuck, do it again."

"Do you want me to slip it inside?"

"God, you can do whatever you want, I'm about to—Emma!"

Emma panted hard as the tip of her finger slipped inside her tight hole. A shiver ran through Emma's body in the moments before her orgasm took her suddenly by surprise and Regina was right there with her, her body jerking, her thighs quivering and her sensual moans filling the room.

She could feel the bulb of the feeldoe start to slip out and she let it fall as she slipped her finger out from Regina's puckered hole slowly. Emma nearly collapsed on top of her, moaning as Regina reached around to pull her flush against her back. Emma felt Regina sigh contently as she placed hot, open-mouthed kisses along her shoulder and neck.

"That was—that was amazing," Regina breathed out, her hand gripping at Emma's hip as if she was trying to hold her even closer against her. "You are amazing."

"Yeah?" Emma chuckled as she wrapped an arm around Regina and smoothed her palm over her lower abdomen, her fingers teasing along her skin just below her navel. "You are amazing, Regina."

Regina nudged at her and Emma lifted up enough for her to roll over on to her back and Regina pulled her down on top of her once more. "That was new," she whispered and she stroked her fingers down the length of Emma's back. "Is that something you've wanted to try before or is that something that just happened?"

"I've been tempted," Emma chuckled. "Did it feel good?"

"Yes."

"Would you want to do that again?"

Regina laughed lowly as her cheeks went flush. "Yes," she whispered. "I would want to do it again."

Emma bit her bottom lip, not sure if she should continue. "Would you want more than just a finger?"

"More?" Regina asked. "Like this?" She asked as she grabbed the feeldoe and shook her head. "Isn't it a little big?"

"We could get something smaller?"

"Maybe," Regina sighed. "Can we talk about this tomorrow?"

"Okay?"

"Because I really want to fuck you again," she murmured. "Just you."

"Just me?"

"No…toys," Regina murmured as she pushed at Emma until she rolled on to her back and Regina was on top. "Just you. Just me. Lips," she whispered as she kissed Emma lightly. "Tongue," she continued and she teased her tongue over Emma's bottom lip and it elicited a giggle out of both of them. "And fingers," she finished as she slipped a hand over Emma side and up to cup her right breast.

Emma threw her head back the moment Regina began to quickly descend down her body and settled between her legs. They were both so lost within each other that time, the world, nothing else existed outside of that room other than each other.

It was a feeling they didn't get to indulge in often, but it was a feeling that made Emma feel like she was soaring amongst the highest clouds in the sky.

[X]

Regina woke before Emma did the next morning and after she placed a kiss to the middle of her back and whispered for her to sleep, she slipped out of bed and pull on her white silk robe as she strolled out of the bedroom. It was early, almost too early, but Regina couldn't sleep when she had so much on her mind.

After she had the coffee on, she retreated to her office, sighing as she remembered that Charlie had taken her laptop with her to fix it. She straightened up a few things before she came across some pale yellow stationary, very similar to the same one she'd used to send Emma the first paper flower years ago for her birthday. She barely realized what she was doing until the paper tulip was nearly finished and she sighed as she dropped it on her desk, staring at it as a hundred different memories started to fill her mind.

Emma was so much a part of her memories of the last eight and a half years even though she hadn't physically been there. Emma had been a key part of her life is so many ways, some ways she was only just realizing in that very moment. Even when she had been with Daniel and had fallen in love with him, Emma had been right there all along. She had thought about Emma the day she and Daniel had gotten married and she had been on her mind during their honeymoon in New York City.

There had been so many times when she had been making memories with Daniel that the first person on her mind—most times without realizing it—had been Emma Swan. She told Emma everything, secrets she told no one else, not even Daniel or Kathryn. Emma had always been the one person Regina found it so very easy to confide in when she needed to and yet, when her father had died and when Daniel had died, she hadn't reached out to her the way she knew she should've.

Would it have made any difference? It was something she often wondered since she knew Emma would've found a way to come to her after her father had died and she knew that Emma would've come no matter what when Daniel had died too. Would it have changed everything if Emma had come years ago when her father had suddenly died that day while he'd been out riding with Marco? Would she have still married Daniel if she had met Emma when she was nineteen?

Regina shook her head as she picked up the paper flower and twisted it in her fingers slowly. She dropped it back on her desk and pulled open the top left drawer and pulled out the small blue box. Inside was a ring, Emma's ring, one she had only just bought that past week on a whim. She had been browsing the shops after class just off campus when it had caught her eye. It wasn't extraordinary or expensive by any means. It was just a simple diamond, but beautiful.

The early morning sunlight that was streaming in through the windows made the diamond sparkle and in that very moment, she knew exactly how and when she wanted to give Emma the ring. She had asked her over Christmas, it hadn't been planned, but the ring made things much more official. The ring made it _real_.

She managed to slip the ring inside the paper flower and she smiled to herself as the smell of coffee wafted through the air. She tucked the paper flower into the pocket of her robe and headed into the kitchen, each step feeling lighter than the last as her heart began to race uncontrollably fast.

She made herself a coffee and then Emma one just the way that Emma preferred it, too much sugar and vanilla flavored creamer that she kept in her fridge just for her. She grinned as she carried both mugs into the bedroom and placed them on the bedside table. She sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to smooth her hand along Emma's bare back, stopping when she reached the sheet that came up just over her hips.

"Good morning, my love," Regina whispered, smiling when Emma turned her head. Her hair covered her eyes and she blinked a few times, adjusting to the light as Regina reached out to brush her hair out of her eyes.

"Is that coffee I smell?"

"Yes," Regina laughed. "Just the way you like it."

"Mm," Emma smiled and she closed her eyes. "I think it's too early. It's Saturday, babe. No kids, no…responsibilities. Can't we just…sleep?"

"We can," Regina said as she slipped a hand inside her robe pocket and pulled out the flower with the ring inside it. "I can't remember the last time that I made one of these for you."

"You make them for me all the time."

"Not yellow. Not like the first one."

Emma sighed and she turned on her side, taking the paper flower from Regina's fingers and she smiled. "It's pretty."

"Is it?"

"What is—Regina?" Emma asked, suddenly more awake than she was before when she turned the flower upside down and the ring slipped out onto the palm of her hand.

"I love you, Emma Swan," Regina said and she moved to lay down next to her, their faces mere inches apart. "I was serious about wanting to marry you. I—I never thought I would want to get married again after Daniel died, but with you, everything seems right. Perfect almost even if it isn't quite that yet. It may not be legal for us to get married here in this state, but that isn't going to stop me from marrying you one day."

Emma was speechless and Regina swallowed thickly, reaching for the ring that lay in her outstretched palm. She trembled slightly as she slipped it on to her left ring finger and wrapped her hands around Emma's tightly.

"I don't know what our future holds, Emma, and I know the road ahead isn't going to be easy, but I want this with you. I want everything with you. Every moment that I am not with you, I feel like I'm just going through the motions, going through each day because that is what I am supposed to do, but when I am with you, I feel like I'm truly living for the first time, I feel so alive when I am with you."

Emma lips are on hers before she could say another word, but nothing more needed to be said in that very moment. When they parted, everything felt different for Regina and it felt different in the most wonderful, amazing way. It was a feeling she never wanted to let go of, a feeling she never wanted to go a day without. It filled her heart, her very soul in ways she couldn't describe.

"You are my sunlight," she murmured softly. "The one sunbeam on a bleak and dreary day that shines through and makes everything better."

"Yeah?"

"Yes," Regina smiled. "I love you, Emma."

"I love you too. I can't wait to marry you."

"I can't wait either, my love."

They spent the rest of the weekend holed up inside the house, mainly in bed, barely letting go of one another as they made love for hours, stopping only to eat or nap before they were right back at it again. When it came time for Emma to drive back up to Tallahassee on Sunday afternoon, Regina was reluctant to let her go, their goodbye a long one in the driveway as neither seemed to be able to let go of the other.

An hour after Emma had left, Regina was lounging on the front porch, nursing a glass of wine despite that it was barely even four in the afternoon. She tensed when she saw Charlie's old car pull up in front of the house, the brakes squealing as she came to a sudden stop, but that tension fluttered away when Charlie waved out the window at her with a wide smile on her face.

"Hey," Charlie laughed as she bounced up to the front porch. "I fixed it for you. It's practically brand new again."

"Thank you," Regina smiled as she took the laptop bag from her. "I truly appreciate it, Charlie. Did you manage to—"

"Saved everything aside from a few files, pictures that I couldn't recover," she replied quickly and she took it upon herself to sit on the chair next to Regina's. "So, Emma is your like, girlfriend?"

"Fiancée actually."

"Shit. Wow! Congratulations, Regina!" Charlie laughed and raised her hand. Regina reluctantly high-fived her before she reached for her glass of wine. "So, when is the wedding?"

"Not for a while yet. I want to finish with my classes first. The uh, the plan is to get married before I start my Masters."

"Hey," Charlie said as she reached out to stop Regina from taking the last few sips of her wine. "That's not going to happen, is it? The whole doctor thing?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I didn't mean to read it, your transfer letter," Charlie said in a rush. "A teacher?"

Regina sighed. "I've always wanted to teach and that letter? I had a few drinks one night and I just—I started writing it and never intended to send it or for anyone to ever read it. I thought I deleted it."

"Not that it's my place to say anything, but, you should do what makes you happy. You told me once that it was your mother who pushed you into being a doctor. It doesn't make you happy, does it?"

"No."

"There are more than one way to change the world, to save lives, Regina," Charlie continued. "Teachers can do that too, just in a very different way."

"I know."

"Pretty big difference in pay though, isn't there?" Charlie chuckled and she shook her head. "What does Emma do?"

"She's a photographer, kind of. She's been published actually. She's also a mother."

"Tell me again how you two met," Charlie said with a slightly dreamy, far-away look in her eyes. "You told me once before, but now that I know you two are definitely more than just pen pals, I want to hear the story all over again."

"Would you like a glass of wine, Charlie?"

"You gonna tell me the story?"

Regina laughed as she stood up from the chair and she just nodded, retreating into the house without another word to grab a glass of wine for Charlie and to top up her own glass. Regina felt like it was so surreal, for her old roommate to be there, acting like they were old friends just catching up. She supposed they were in a way; they had lived together for five months even if they hadn't kept in touch much after her first semester had ended at UF. Charlie was like Emma, someone she never thought she'd be friends with years before, but somehow they were in a way.

Regina hadn't told Emma that she had been having doubts about following through on the long path towards being a doctor, that she had been wanting to change her major, to be a teacher just as she had always dreamt of being. She had never thought anyone would read that letter she was so convinced she had deleted after she'd written it one night after far too many glasses of wine.

She spent almost an hour telling Charlie the story of how her and Emma's relationship had evolved over the years and after Charlie had left when Lucky had called her to come back to the apartment they shared for a marathon of some video game that had just come out, Regina stayed out on the porch, watching the last rays of sunlight disappear along the horizon, her mind on a lot of different things, on things that didn't mater, on things that did, on Emma and their future together, on her own future that could change on a whim if she so wished to change it.

It was later that night that she pulled up the letter she'd written and she went over it, editing it to perfection before she sent it to the administrations office and the dean. She knew exactly what she was throwing away, but after her conversation with Charlie, she realized something she had been missing, something she hadn't been allowing herself to notice all along.

Emma Swan made her happy, she made her feel love unlike anything else she had ever felt before, but even with that, there was still something missing. She was long overdue in taking control of her life and doing what she had always dreamt of, of taking that step in making it happen, was just the first of many changes she knew she'd be making in her life in the days, weeks, months, and years to come.

And for once she wasn't afraid because the future was beginning to look brighter than ever.


	11. Chapter 11

**Part XI**

Emma was exhausted and it was barely even ten in the morning. She only had a few hours before she had to pick Henry up from school and she'd been packing up the house all morning. Nathan, however, was getting into every box she was packing when she had her back turned to him and it had somehow turned into a game for him. Every time she tried to put him in the playpen, he'd cry and scream until she took him back out.

"Come on, Nate," she sighed as she took the book out of his hands and put it back into the box on the living room floor. "We have a few weeks to pack and there is just too much stuff. Please stop taking everything out."

"No!"

Emma sighed and sat down heavily on the couch. It was far too early to drink, but the need for one was growing increasingly by the minute. She watched as Nathan stubbornly looked at her before crawling away to where his and Henry's toy box was, pulling out some of his toys to play with.

Emma fiddled with the ring on her hand, sighing as she tried to stay cool, calm, and collected. She had three weeks to pack up the house, three weeks until she, the boys, and August moved into the house with Regina in Gainesville. By a stroke of a miracle, they had gotten the house over other applicants, the call having come in the Tuesday after they had submitted their application. Jacoby Nichols, their new landlord, said they could move in at the beginning of February, but that wasn't enough time for either of them to pack up and move in.

Emma couldn't bear to sell the house. She had grown up there and it had been her parents' first and only home since they had gotten married. After a long talk with Regina and then another one with August, she decided to keep the house and rent it out for the time being. August had found a lovely older couple to rent the house; people she knew would take care of the house as if it were their own. It was one sliver of a peace of mind when everything else in her life felt so chaotic.

Regina was in Storybrooke for the week with Kathryn's baby on the way and due any day now. They had just spent the few days before the weekend together for Regina's twenty-fourth birthday and then she was flying to Boston on that Friday night. She had been there for three days and Kathryn still hadn't gone into labor the last she'd talked to her and that had been earlier that morning.

Emma picked up her brand new phone and sent a quick text to Regina before she resumed packing up the books, going through each one in a process she'd been stuck on for hours, deciding whether to keep, donate, or store them once they'd moved into the new house.

"Hey stranger!" Ruby called out as she let herself in the front door. "Need a hand?"

"I need a drink," Emma muttered as she began to stack some of her father's old books in a separate box. "What are you doing here?"

"I have the day off and I thought you might need some help packing. I also brought some coffee," Ruby said with an easy smile. "It's too early for a drink, Em, but I got a shot of espresso in yours. You definitely look like you need a little pick me up right now."

"Thanks," Emma said, taking the offered cup from Ruby and set it down on the coffee table. "I don't know where else to start," Emma said after a moment. "I've been picking away at packing different things around the house, but it's hard because we have almost three weeks before we move and the boys, if it's not Nathan taking things out of boxes, it's Henry whining and getting upset because I've packed one of his toys."

Ruby reached out and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Let's go up and pack up some of their things while Henry isn't around. We'll tape the boxes up so he can't unpack them, okay?"

"Okay."

After they brought a few boxes upstairs and Nathan was on the floor by his crib, happily playing with one of Henry's favorite trucks, they started to pack up some of the toys that Emma knew Henry wouldn't miss playing with for a few weeks.

"You'll never guess who I ran into last night."

"Who?" Emma asked, not looking back as she started to pile some of the stuffed animals in with some of the other toys.

"Lily Page."

"Oh?" Emma looked over at Ruby in surprise. "Where did you see her?"

"She was at the hospital visiting her aunt. She asked about you," Ruby replied. "Don't worry, Em, we didn't talk for very long and I didn't say too much really. She wanted me to give you her number, but I told her that you were seeing someone right now."

Emma hadn't talked to Lily in years and she'd barely even thought about her either. Lily Page was a part of her life she'd soon rather forget completely. She was surprised that Ruby had even ran into Lily at all because the last she heard, she'd been living in Atlanta.

"She looked good."

"Did she?" Emma asked, grabbing more toys from the floor and tossing them into another box. "I didn't know you two knew each other."

"We don't, not really. She recognized me, I guess," Ruby shrugged. "You know, from when we were dating years back."

"That feels like it happened a lifetime ago," Emma laughed uneasily.

"Yeah, it does, doesn't it?"

They very rarely spoke about their past and the short amount of time they had dated. It brought back too many memories, ugly ones, ones that Emma would soon rather forget just as she would rather forget about Lily Page. While there were times they went without speaking or seeing one another, Ruby was a friend and it seemed like not much was going to change that even after she and the boys moved down to Gainesville. She knew Regina wasn't exactly okay with her friendship with Ruby, she'd expressed it a few times in the past, but she didn't go as far as telling Emma not to be friends with someone who was her ex-girlfriend—if one could even classify Ruby as that.

She was waiting for the other shoe to drop, metaphorically speaking. She hadn't seen Ruby for a few weeks, which mean that Ruby hadn't seen the ring yet. Aside from telling August, Emma hadn't told anyone else that Regina had asked her to marry her over Christmas, and that was only because she wanted to wait until she had a ring. It wasn't the only reason; she still had been waiting for Regina to change her mind about one day getting married since she had already been married once before.

She was perfectly fine with just being with Regina without ever marrying her. As long as she could spend a lifetime with Regina she'd be happy. And she knew, without a doubt, that no matter how hard things would get in the future, they'd get through it together because Regina wanted the same thing as she did, a forever love.

By the time they packed the fifth box and taped them up, Emma sat down on Henry's bed with a heavy sigh. "Regina asked me to marry her," she said quietly and Ruby did a double take before she sat down next to her. "She asked me over Christmas."

"Holy shit, Em!"

"She gave me the ring a few weeks ago," Emma said as Ruby grabbed her left hand, her eyes wide as she stared at the ring on her finger. "Do you want to know how she gave me the ring, Ruby?"

"Of course I do," Ruby smiled. "Tell me, was it utterly romantic?"

"Yeah," Emma laughed. "In her way, our way I guess."

Emma told Ruby the story and it had Ruby fawning over her and growing emotional. She hugged Emma tightly, congratulating her on her engagement and made Emma promise that when the time came that she was a part of the wedding. Emma wasn't sure if Regina would be okay with that, but she promised that when the time came, she would think about it.

Ruby stayed behind to pack up a few more boxes for her and to watch Nathan while she went to the school to pick Henry up. She was waiting out on the blacktop when her phone chimed and she smiled when she saw that Regina had text her back.

 ** _Kathryn was induced earlier this morning. Ten minutes ago she gave birth to a baby girl. Seven pounds, six ounces, and nineteen inches long. Baby and mother are doing quite well, happy and healthy. I'll text you when Kathryn and Frederick decide on a name._**

A girl. Emma smiled and when her phone chimed again, it was of a picture of the baby in Kathryn's arms and Frederick was on one side of the bed and Regina on the other. She quickly sent a text back, congratulating the new parents and Regina on her goddaughter just before the bell rang and the children started to file outside. Henry immediately ran over to her, dropping his backpack as he held up a piece of construction paper that he'd drawn a picture on.

"Hi Mama!" He beamed as Emma picked him up and hugged him tightly. "I drawed this for you today. Do you like it?"

"I love it!"

Henry had a knack for drawing what could be considered landscapes, taking after his mother and her love of landscape photography. Almost in every one there were three tall figures and two short ones and Emma knew now without asking that he had drawn his family, including Regina and August as a part of his family.

"Ms. Swan?" Henry's teacher called out as she approached the two of them. "Could I speak with you for a moment before you leave?"

"Is everything all right, Mrs. Kwacha?"

"Yes," she smiled brightly. "Can we go inside and talk?"

"What is this about?"

"It's nothing bad, Ms. Swan," she said as she led the way into the school. "Henry says that you are moving at the end of the month, is that right?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded and she followed the teacher into the classroom and they sat at one of the small tables. "We're moving down to Gainesville."

"Yes, he's said as much. He keeps talking about a woman named Gina?"

"Regina," Emma corrected her. "She's uh, she's my fiancée actually."

"That's wonderful," Mrs. Kwacha said with a tight and polite smile. "Henry, why don't you go and play while I talk to Mom, all right?"

"What's going on?" Emma asked. "Is everything all right with Henry? He's not causing any problems, is he? He's keeping up with the rest of the class?"

"Ms. Swan, Henry is doing wonderfully and in fact, he is a very bright and respectful boy. I have noticed how quickly he picks up on things, especially during writing lessons. I have taken the liberty of having the school's Educational Assistant come in to spend some extra time with him," she said and she folded her hands over her lap. "I'd like to do some tests on Henry before you move away, if that is all right?"

"Tests? What kind of tests?"

"I have every reason to believe he is a gifted boy," she continued. "He shows a level of understanding most children his age don't identify with at all. I feel he would benefit more in a different type of class. A class with children similar to himself."

"A gifted class?" Emma asked, amazed that her son was considered that. She always knew he was smart, but she had been convinced she only thought that way because she was his mother. "What would that be like for him?"

"There would be a lot more reading and writing lessons, some math as well. A gifted class is much more focused on the child and finding a better way for them to learn, to absorb all the new information that is given to them. I know there are quite a few programs in Gainesville that would benefit Henry greatly."

"Yeah?" Emma asked, still a little blown away. "I mean, it's not some private program, is it?"

"No," she smiled. "It's a part of the public school system, an individual program. As I mentioned, I would like to do some tests before you move that way when you enroll Henry in school at the end of the month, he can be enrolled in the right class."

"Okay," Emma smiled back at her and she looked over at Henry as he played with some Lego on the carpet in the middle of the room. "These tests, how do they work?"

"It's fairly simple, actually. We can do the testing in the afternoon. He'll sit down with the EA and myself and we'll go through each booklet. He'll have some minimal help, but it is really only to show just how broad his level of understanding is. We'll know more after the testing is done, but he's already been showing very clear signs of being an extraordinarily gifted child."

"And when would you start?"

"I'd like to start as soon as possible, if that is something you'll consent to?"

"Of course," Emma said quickly. "Whatever is best for Henry. Is there anything I need to do or…?"

"Ms. Swan, as far as I am concerned, you have done everything right for your son so far in his young life. Whatever you are doing, keep it up. I would encourage you to do the same for his younger brother, Nathan is it?"

"Actually, Nathan isn't—"

"Oh I am sorry," the woman said suddenly. "I seem to keep forgetting that he is your brother, not Henry's," she frowned. "Regardless, if you can do what you've done with Henry, there is no doubt that Nathan can't flourish as well as Henry has. Now, regarding the tests, do you think it is possible that we can start this afternoon?"

"Do I need to stay or do I come back in a few hours?"

"I'm sure Henry would like to go home and have some lunch first," she chuckled softly. "If you could bring him back around two? You can stay for the first test. It'll be around an hour at most. Is that all right with you, Ms. Swan?"

"Yeah, yeah of course," Emma nodded. "I'll bring him back at two. Thank you, Mrs. Kwacha."

Emma and Henry took the long way home and all the while, Emma made sure to pay a little extra bit of attention to her son. She was trying to figure out what it is that she did that made him be the way he was, to make him a bright child full of potential. She knew a big part of it was her mother, especially those months she'd spent in California while Henry stayed with her parents. Even out of the classroom, her mother was still the teacher she'd always been, encouraging learning every minute of every day even if it didn't feel like there was learning happening at all.

She texted Regina before she reached the house, not wanting to call her since she was still at the hospital with Kathryn and the new baby, and she told her that she had some news to share with her about Henry, good news, and that she couldn't wait to talk to her later.

"What do you want for lunch, mister smarty-pants?" Emma asked and Henry laughed as he gave chase through the house and into the kitchen.

"Whoa!" Henry exclaimed when he was suddenly scooped up by Ruby. "Hi Ruby!"

"Hey little man!" She laughed. "I made some lunch, your favorite."

"Yay!"

"Hey, everything okay?" Ruby asked as she put Henry down and looked over at Emma lingering in the doorway. "Em?"

"Yeah, yeah everything is fine, Ruby. I'll tell you all about it over lunch."

Emma got Nathan into his highchair and Henry talked about everything they'd done in school that morning while she cut up the grilled cheese sandwich into smaller bites for Nathan to grab on to and feed himself. Once Emma joined Ruby and Henry at the table, Henry was already nearly done his lunch and she reminded him to slow down a little bit. She told Ruby what his teacher had told her, what she asked her regarding the tests she wanted to give to Henry starting that afternoon.

She had barely just finished explaining everything to Ruby when her phone started to ring and she smiled when she saw Regina's name on the screen before she answered it.

"Hey," she breathed out, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hello," Regina purred into the phone. "Kathryn is resting and I stepped out to call you. What is this good news your can't wait to tell me?"

"Henry's teacher thinks he's gifted," Emma said in a rush. "She wants to do some testing to confirm it, I guess."

"Gifted? That's wonderful," Regina said and Emma could just see that smile on her face because she could hear it in her voice. "He is an exceptionally bright boy, Emma."

"Yeah."

"I can't talk for long, Frederick is expecting me to bring some coffee back shortly."

"It's okay. We can talk tonight. Did they come up with a name for the baby yet?"

"No, not yet. All they've done is bicker about it. I'm sure after Kathryn has gotten some much needed rest, they'll be able to talk rationally about this," Regina chuckled lowly.

"When are you coming home, do you know yet?"

"I fly back on Friday morning. I'm going to visit with my mother for a few days before I return. I—I might have some news myself when I come home, Emma."

"Good news?"

"Yes."

"You have to go now, don't you?" Emma asked and she was fighting the frown that inevitably won as it settled over her face. "God, I miss you, Regina."

"I miss you too, my love. Not much longer before these days are in the past."

"I know."

"Will you call later and let me know how Henry's testing goes?" Regina asked. "I could help you look into schools in Gainesville that offer these programs if you'd like?"

"We'll do it together after the testing is done. His teacher wants to start today. We'll see what happens after the testing is done."

"Be proud, not just of him, but of yourself, Emma. You have raised an exceptional boy and its showing, more so now than ever. I love you."

"I love you too," Emma breathed out softly. "I'll call you later."

"If I don't answer, don't fret. I haven't had much sleep these past few days."

"Okay."

"I love you," Regina said again and Emma's heart just clenched at the way she said those three words that held more meaning than she could describe. "Give the boys a kiss and a hug from me and tell them I'll see them this weekend."

"I love you too," Emma whispered as she cradled her phone to her ear. Regina hung up mere seconds later and she pocketed her phone and was greeted by an incredulous expression from Ruby. "What?"

"You two are so very in love, aren't you?"

"You got a problem with that?"

"No," Ruby grinned. "I think it's sweet, Em. Honestly, in all the years I've known you I have never seen you so happy before. You've been through a lot of shit and yeah, I will never forget the first night we met when you gave birth to Henry on the front lawn, but you are one hell of a strong woman and I truly admire you for that."

"Ruby—"

"I'm sorry, I'm getting a bit emotional because you're moving away. Almost three hours away. I'm just going to miss you. I'm going to miss Henry. I'm going to miss Nate. Fuck, do you think Regina is going to have a problem if I want to come visit sometimes?"

"I—I don't know, Ruby. You know how she feels about you."

"And how is that?" Ruby deadpanned. "She hates me, doesn't she?"

"No."

"That means yes," Ruby said and she shook her head. "Doesn't she know how long it's been since we were like a thing?"

"She knows."

"Right, so," Ruby said as she slung an arm around her. "Do you need me to watch Nate while you take Henry back to the school to get tested?"

"Can you?"

"You know I never mind. I won't get to see either of the boys much at all after you guys all move down to Gainesville. I'll take every second I can get with either of them."

"Hey, you're coming to visit, okay? Regina might not like it, but it's going to be half my house too," Emma said as she turned and grabbed Ruby by the shoulders. "You're one of my only friends, Ruby. Sure our past isn't great or whatever, but we're still friends, aren't we?"

"Yeah, yeah we are."

"The new house?" Emma grinned as she turned to look at the boys at the table and shook her head. "There is going to be a guest room. It's yours whenever you want to come and visit."

"And Regina? How is she going to feel about that?"

"She'll deal."

"Will she?"

"Just like I'll deal with you bringing Belle around sometimes too."

"Em, Belle and I aren't together anymore," Ruby said quietly. "We broke up."

"What? When did that happen?"

"It's hard to say," Ruby shrugged. "We just stopped seeing each other and before I knew it, it'd been almost a month and we talked a few days ago and came to a mutual understanding that our relationship is done. I guess we just fell out of love and it took a while for either of us to realize it."

"I'm sorry," Emma frowned and she hugged Ruby tight. "You'll find someone else."

"Yeah, I have no doubt about that," Ruby chuckled and they both stepped out of the embrace at the same time.

"I should be back just after three," Emma said as she looked over at the clock on the wall and then back at Ruby. "Nate usually goes down for a nap just before two. Are you sure you don't mind staying?"

"I wouldn't have offered if I minded, Em."

[X]

Regina left the hospital just before seven in the evening, tired from a long day and very little rest. She stayed because Kathryn had asked her to and she had ultimately become the mediator between Kathryn and Frederick while they bickered about the baby's name. After Kathryn had gotten something to eat and fed their baby girl, somehow they came to an agreement on the name.

Rylan Anne. Kathryn had wanted to give the baby a different name, Frederick wanted something more conservative, and Rylan Anne became the one they settled on, meeting each other halfway. Regina left after the two had signed the official birth certificate and she promised Kathryn she would come back first thing in the morning.

Regina drove to her mother's house in the rental car she'd picked up at the airport in Boston and she sat in the driveway for the longest time, just letting the chaos of the day fade away bit by bit. She had to work up the nerve to go into her mother's house to face her mother for the first time since she got to Storybrooke a few days earlier. She hadn't seen or spoken to her mother since two days after Christmas when she left the Swan house to return home.

Regina let herself in the front door and found her mother sitting in the study nursing a cup of tea while the radio played quietly in the background. Cora looked up at her in surprise before she rose from her chair and wrapped her arms around Regina tightly.

"It's so very nice to have you home again, dear," Cora whispered into her ear. "The kettle should still be hot enough if you'd like to help yourself to a cup of tea."

"I'm fine, Mother. I'm just exhausted. I think I'm just going to shower and call it a night. Kathryn is expecting me back at the hospital—"

"Go and make yourself a cup of tea, dear," Cora ordered. "It seems we have quite a lot to catch up on, don't we?"

Regina nodded tersely and made her way into the kitchen. She took a few deep, calming breaths before making herself a cup of tea and returned to the study to join her mother. Regina could feel the exhaustion sinking in, making her feel like she was in the beginnings of a bad cold that was about to hit. Regina settled down on the sofa by the fireplace and cupped her hands around the teacup.

"How is Kathryn doing?"

"Good," Regina said with a small smile. "They finally decided on a name just before I left actually."

"Oh?"

"Rylan Anne."

"That is certainly…different," Cora said carefully. "Do you have pictures of the baby?"

Regina nodded, pulling out her cell phone from her pocket as her mother moved to sit next to her. She showed her the handful of pictures she'd taken and Cora was instantly in love with the tiny baby girl. Regina put her phone away and sipped her tea.

"I hear you and Emma have found a place together," Cora said quietly. "I had hoped you would be the one to tell me, but instead I found out from August."

"You're still talking to August?"

"He is a delightful man, dear. We get along quite well. We speak from time to time."

"Yes, we've found a beautiful house together. We're moving at the end of the month actually," Regina sighed. "I did mean to call you to tell you, but things are a bit hectic these days and I've been busy—"

"Too busy to call your own mother?"

"Mother, please."

"I understand you have your own life down there," Cora continued. "I respect that, I do. I never thought things would turn out to be this way, that is all, dear."

"What way?"

Cora shook her head and Regina could tell from the glassy look of her eyes that she'd been drinking more than just tea. "I'm your mother, Regina. It hurts to find out things about your life from someone else. The next thing you know, you'll be telling me that you and Emma are engaged and I'll only just find out before you two wed."

"We are," she whispered as she stared down into her teacup. "We're engaged, Mother. I asked her over Christmas, but I only gave her a ring a few weeks ago."

"You—you're engaged?" Cora asked. "When were you going to tell me?"

"Now. I am telling you now."

"Congratulations, dear," Cora whispered and she pulled Regina in for a rather awkward side hug that nearly caused Regina to spill her tea. "Did she ask or did you?"

"I asked her."

"So, she's wearing the ring?" Cora asked and Regina just nodded. "If I had known, I would've given you your grandmother's ring to give to her. I've been waiting to pass it down to you for a very long time. I—I should've given it to Daniel when he asked permission to marry you."

"I know you wouldn't haven given it to him."

"I should've," she frowned. "Oh Regina, I have made so very many mistakes when it comes to you," she sighed and she lifted a shaky hand to wipe away at the tears that started to fall. "I don't want to make any more. Will you ever forgive me for all of the mistakes I have made with you?"

"Yes," Regina said with a small nod. "I will, because you are my mother and despite some of the things you've put me through, I love you."

Cora hugged her again tightly and only let go when Regina's phone started to ring. She looked down at the display, smiling when she saw that it was Emma calling and after she motioned to her mother that she was going to take the call, she answered it on her way out of the study.

"Hello my love," she whispered, her heart fluttering the way it always did whenever she spoke to Emma.

"Hey," Emma drawled. "Bad time?"

"Perfect timing actually," she chuckled. "How did it go this afternoon?"

"Really great," Emma replied. "Henry was a little shy at first. I don't think he understood what was going on, but he caught on quickly. He did a lot more of the test than his teacher expected him to in the hour that we were there. Shit, Regina, he's really smart. I mean, I knew that before today, but he's really smart, you know?"

"I know."

Emma laughed quietly. "I can't wait to see you," she said softly. "Did Kathryn and Fred decide on a name yet?"

"Yes, they did," Regina said as she climbed up the stairs and headed into her old bedroom. "Emma, I told my mother that we're engaged."

"You did?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"She took it surprisingly well, actually," she replied and she shut the bedroom door before she walked over to her old bed and sat down on the edge. "Did you know that my mother and August have been keeping in touch?"

"Shit, no way," Emma laughed. "That's weird. Isn't it? It's really weird."

"He told her that we're moving in together," she said quietly and she moved to lay back on the bed, closing her eyes involuntarily the moment her head hit the soft pillow.

"You want me to kick his ass for telling her before you did?"

"No."

"You sound tired," Emma said after a moment. "Do you want me to let you go?"

"No," Regina sighed softly. "Tell me about your day. I just want to hear your voice."

Regina dozed in an out as Emma spoke, and she tried to listen in depth, but the exhaustion she felt was taking its toll. She wasn't sure how long she'd been out for, but she woke to Emma saying her name over and over again in the breathy way that she did when they were making love. Regina groaned quietly and blinked open her eyes.

"Emma?"

"Hmm? Do you want me to let you go now? I mean, you've already fallen asleep on me and I—"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's okay. I'm kind of exhausted myself. I packed quite a bit today and Nathan thought it was a game, unpacking half of what I packed when my back was turned."

"Of course he did."

"Ruby was here," Emma said tentatively. "I ran into her the other day and told her we were moving down to Gainesville at the end of the month. She showed up to help me pack."

"Did she?"

"Yeah."

"That was nice of her," Regina said tightly, trying to keep a neutral voice because she was in no mood to argue with Emma at the moment. "Did you two manage to get a lot done?"

"Yeah, I mean, we made good progress on the boys' room today."

"That's good."

"Regina?" Emma asked and when Regina didn't say a word, she cleared her throat. "I don't want you to think that anything is going on with me and Ruby. We've been friends for a long time, since Henry was born and I know how it must feel for you knowing that we dated for a very short amount of time, but—"

"I don't think anything is going on between you two," Regina said sharply. "I know you two are friends. It's all right. You don't need to explain anything to me."

"She thinks you hate her."

"I don't. I dislike her. There is a distinctive difference between hating someone and disliking them."

Emma laughed. "Right, of course there is. Hey, I'm going to let you go. Get some sleep, all right?"

"Emma—"

"I love you."

Regina sighed softly. "I love you too, Emma."

She hung up the phone and crawled out of bed. She needed to shower before she slept, she needed to wash away the grimy feeling that had settled on her skin after spending most of the day in the hospital. She barely could drag herself into the hot shower and once she'd gotten out not even ten minutes later, she felt even more tired than she had been before.

It had been a long time since she'd slept in her old bed, and she curled up under the sheets, her hair still damp from the shower, and she went through the photos on her phone, looking at the ones of her and Emma they'd taken the last time they saw one another. She loved pictures of the two of them together because she could see the love and happiness shining so brightly in both of their eyes. But the ones she loved the most were those taken with the boys and how much they already looked like a family.

She fell asleep that night with nothing but happy thoughts, thinking only of Emma and her family, family that would one day become her own, officially. Her dreams were that of the future, dreams she knew when she woke would someday become a reality. It was a future Regina couldn't wait to have, to live through, and then to one day look back on when they were old and grey and reminiscing about their past together.

[X]

Emma watched the movers load up the truck with the boxes while she sipped on her second cup of coffee that morning. The end of the month had crept up quickly and she had only packed the last of their things just ten minutes before the moving company had shown up. Ruby was watching the boys, playing with them in the backyard to keep them out of the way until Emma was ready to put them in the Bug and drive down to Gainesville ahead of the movers.

There wasn't much furniture they were bringing along, just the stuff from the boys' room and Emma's that would be put in the guest room at the new house. The movers were quick and Emma was surprised at how fast they'd loaded up the truck. She headed back into the house and checked one last time to make sure they'd had everything. There were just a few smaller boxes left and her bag with her wallet and keys on top of the kitchen counter. She grabbed her phone and sent Regina a quick text to tell her they'd be leaving within the hour.

Emma went out to get Nathan to change his diaper before they'd head out, hoping that he'd at least hold off on doing anything until they got to the new house. Once she did a quick walkthrough with the movers, they headed over to Augusts' place to get the things he was bringing along as well. Like she was doing, he was renting out his house almost fully furnished, taking only his personal belongings with him.

The people who had rented out the Swan house were waiting for Emma when she left the boys with Ruby and drove down to the local coffee shop a few blocks from the house. They signed the final copy of the lease Regina had gotten Kathryn to write up. The elderly couple was very kind and sweet, signing off the final copy of the lease before Emma handed them over a copy of the keys and her information on how they can contact her if they needed to in the future.

The movers were done loading up Augusts' things by the time she returned and after saying goodbye to Ruby and loading the boys up in the backseat of the Bug, they were finally off with August following behind them on his Harley. The boys were quiet for most of the trip and Emma's mind was centered on the fact that this was going to be the last time she'd be making the trip from Tallahassee to Gainesville. This was about going home, to a new home in a new town, a home they'd share with Regina and August. Emma had to slow the car down and take a few deep, calming breaths to keep from breaking down from the host of emotions that consumed her.

Half an hour outside of Gainesville, Emma pulled over to the side of the road to call Regina to let her know they were nearly there. She couldn't contain the excitement in her voice and neither could Regina from the way she giggled—and Regina very rarely giggled in such a girlish way. Emma stopped for gas shortly after she got off the phone and had Henry use the restroom while she changed Nathan quickly on the surprisingly clean sink in the only bathroom at the gas station.

Emma only got lost once on the way to the new house, making the wrong turn two streets down. August had gone off ahead from the gas station and he'd doubled back, finding her sitting at the side of the road and trying to figure out where she was on a map. He led the way home, both of them pulling up into the driveway just as the moving van arrived and Regina was nowhere to be found.

"Are we there yet, Mama?" Henry asked from the backseat when Emma pulled the emergency brake on. "Mama?"

"Yeah, kid, we're home," she said with a smile as she glanced back at both boys in the rearview mirror. "Do you want to go and see your new room?"

"Yeah!"

Emma laughed and got both boys out of the car and using the key that had been shipped to her via FedEx the day before, she unlocked the house and headed inside with August close behind them.

The house looked different from the last time Emma had been there. She could faintly smell fresh paint lingering in the air and the wood floors had been redone in the living and dining room. The tiles in the front hallway and kitchen were gleaming, freshly washed and polished, and as she walked past the room that would be used as her and Regina's shared office, the carpet had been freshly cleaned and the wood paneling on the walls painted white.

Emma handed Nathan off to August when Henry scrambled up the stairs to the second floor. She and Regina had already agreed to let Henry choose one of the two bedrooms without the en-suite bathroom. She already had an idea of which room Henry would choose and when he ran into the bedroom with the small alcove with the second window, she knew she'd been right.

"You don't want to check out the other one?"

"Is it big?"

"About the same size," Emma replied. "Well?"

"Is it mine?"

"Of course."

"I don't have to share with Nate?"

"Nope."

"Really?" Henry looked up at her with bright eyes and when she nodded, he launched himself at her, hugging her tightly once she'd picked him up.

"Hey, the movers are going to start unloading my stuff. Said they'd be about half an hour before they'll start moving your stuff in," August said as he appeared in the doorway of Henry's new bedroom. "The place is great, Em. Looks bigger than the pictures you showed me. You got a key to the studio above the garage?"

"It should be in the cupboard beside the refrigerator. That's what Mr. Nichols told us."

"Right, okay," August nodded. "I think Regina's movers just showed up, by the way."

"Is she—"

"No, I didn't see her car. I'm sure she'll be here soon."

Emma sighed and put Henry down on his feet. "Do you think you can watch the boys, August? I'm going to just—"

"Yeah, yeah of course I can. We'll go and explore the new digs, won't we guys?" August asked and he blew a raspberry on Nathan's cheek and reached out to ruffle Henry's shaggy brown hair. "What do you think, Henry? Want to explore the new digs?"

"What's digs?" Henry asked him as August led the way out of the bedroom and Emma just shook her head and pulled out her phone.

Regina's phone went straight to voicemail and Emma sighed as she listened to the familiar message. "Hey babe, it's me. I'm at the house and waiting for you. I can't wait for you to get here. I—I can't believe today is actually here and I—I just want you to be here because this is real and it is happening and I'm so fucking excited and so scared at the same time. Just…hurry up and get here, okay?"

"So impatient," Regina purred from behind her and Emma spun around with a wide grin on her face. "I stopped to get some groceries. I figured you and the boys would be hungry after driving down."

"Regina," Emma sighed as they met halfway and wrapped their arms around one another. "How come your phone is off?"

"I'm avoiding my mother. She's been driving me insane this morning. She wants to come down in a week to see the house and I have been trying to explain to her that we need more than just a week to settle in."

Emma just shook her head and slid her hands into Regina's much shorter hair, the shortest she'd ever seen it. "I like your hair," she whispered, their lips just a hairsbreadth apart. "It's short."

"Too short?"

"No," Emma shook her head again. "It's perfect. It makes you look so very beautiful."

"So very beautiful?"

"Yes," she chuckled. "Very sexy too."

"I wasn't sexy before?" Regina teased, grinning as she gripped at Emma's hips.

"God, you're always sexy," Emma murmured and she brought their lips together in a crushing kiss. Emma found herself being backed up to the nearest wall and she groaned as Regina pressed her hard against the wall, their bodies flush, hands grasping as they kissed like they hadn't seen each other for years.

Their kiss only ended when they heard the heavy footsteps coming up the stairs. Emma couldn't wait for the movers to be done unloading both trucks so that she and Regina could just settle into their first place together. It'd be a long day, one that already felt longer than most, but the end result was most definitely going to be worth it. Being able to sleep next to the love of her life that night and every night from there on forward was going to make it, exhaustion and all, so very worth it.

Throughout the next few hours, they managed to steal a moment or two away from everyone else, sharing heated kisses that threatened to lead to more if they didn't stop themselves—and they had because every time they found a moment alone, it wasn't for more than a few minutes at a time. The movers seemed to take longer to unload than it had for them to load the truck up earlier that morning and when they both finally signed off and the movers' left, Emma retreated to the living room and collapsed on the couch that was placed haphazardly in the middle of the room.

The boys were in bed and napping after August had made a point in setting up Henry's bed and Nathan's crib as soon as they'd been unloaded from the truck. August was in his studio over the garage, getting his things organized and had promised to help Emma and Regina out with some unpacking before they called it a day.

"Promise me something?" Emma asked tiredly as Regina sat down next to her and placed a cold bottle of beer down on the coffee table for Emma. "Promise me this is the last time we move for at least a few years?"

"A few years at least," Regina chuckled and she moved to sit sideways on Emma's lap and draped her arms around her shoulders. "We're home."

"We are."

"How does it feel?"

"Exhausting," Emma replied and she moved in to kiss Regina firmly on the lips. "But worth it because we're here together."

"Together," Regina echoed, her lips ghosting over Emma's before they easily slid into a deep, passionate kiss.

Emma's hand slipped over Regina's outer thigh, settling on her hips as they kissed hungrily. It was still too early in the afternoon for them to steal a proper moment alone, but it didn't stop Emma from slipping her hand under the simple white t-shirt Regina wore and smoothed her palm over Regina's soft abdomen.

Regina ended the kiss first and she moved Emma's hand out from under her t-shirt with a small shake of her head. "We should start unpacking the kitchen," she said but she made no move to get up from Emma's lap. "Even if we don't get anything else done today, at least we'll have the kitchen unpacked for breakfast tomorrow morning."

"Babe, come on," Emma pleaded. "Five minutes. We're in our new house, the boys are sleeping…I just want five minutes with you."

"Five minutes?" Regina raised an eyebrow. "There is no five minutes with you, my love. You'll just want another five minutes after that."

Emma chuckled and she kissed over Regina's neck, her hand sliding back underneath the t-shirt. "Ten minutes then," she murmured against her skin. She nipped just below Regina's earlobe and when she heard the soft moan, she knew Regina was giving in to her advances.

Emma shifted and pulled at Regina's hips, moving her until Regina lay on her back. Emma moved to kneel between her thighs, pushing up the t-shirt to expose Regina's abdomen. She kissed along her navel and smiled against her skin when Regina moaned again. Regina slipped her hands into Emma's hair, pulling her until Emma's lips were on hers.

Despite feeling exhausted from the move, Emma's libido picked right up, giving her a boost of energy she didn't think she had. She slipped a thigh between Regina's, eliciting a moan past their lips as her thigh pressed hard against her cunt. Regina grasped at Emma's ass hard, pulling her down against the thigh Emma was straddling.

"Fuck," Emma murmured as she rolled her hips hard. "I want you."

"Emma—"

"The boys are asleep," she gasped as she slipped a hand between their bodies and fumbled with the button on Regina's capris. "Just…five minutes."

"Emma, god," Regina moaned as Emma slipped a hand inside her capris. Emma gasped when she found that Regina had gone without wearing panties and she slicked her fingers through the warm, wet heat of Regina's cunt.

"Whoa Jesus!" August yelled as he came to a stop just a few feet away from the couch.

"August, get out of here!" Emma snapped and Regina was grabbing at her arm, trying to pull Emma's hand out of her pants. "Fuck, man!"

"I was just—"

"Emma, take your hand out of my pants," Regina ordered firmly and Emma groaned and slipped her hand out just seconds before Regina pushed her off the couch. She landed on the floor hard and she glanced up at August who looked embarrassed and amused at the same time.

"Dude, what the hell?" Emma asked as she got to her feet slowly.

"I was just coming in to see if you two needed a hand," he smirked and Emma punched him hard in the shoulder. "With unpacking!"

Emma shook her head as she grabbed the beer Regina had brought for her before. She took a few sips and exhaled sharply. She punched him one more time, laughing when he winced and she slung an arm around his shoulders.

"You know, we're going to have to come up with some rules around here."

"Rules, Em?"

"This is just as much as your place as it is ours," she said as she led the way into the kitchen. "But sometimes, when two people love each other and can't seem to keep their hands off each other, there are going to be moments when bedroom activities aren't exactly contained in the bedroom."

"Em—"

"So, let's just make the house off-limits when the boys are napping all right?"

August chuckled lowly. "Right," he nodded. "Maybe you oughta put a sock on the back door—"

"That is not happening," Emma laughed and she turned as Regina joined them in the kitchen. "So," she said as she put her beer down on the counter. "Where do we even start?"

"Pick a box," Regina replied as she opened one and started to pull out the pots and pans that were packed away inside. "We'll figure out where to put everything as we go along."

[X]

Regina used the towel to dry her hair as she walked out of the en-suite. It was late, almost eleven, and it had taken them both almost an hour to get the boys settled down and in bed. Henry wasn't happy his toys were all packed away and after a bit of an argument between him and Emma, they agreed to unpack one box before he went to bed.

One box became two and then Emma had to put her foot down, promising him that first thing in the morning they'd unpack his room and find a place for all of his things. After they were sure that both the boys were sound asleep, Regina found the sheets to make up the bed while Emma had showered.

"God, I'm so tired," Emma moaned as she stretched out on the bed, the mattress and box spring on the floor since neither of them had enough energy to put the bedframe together.

"The water pressure is good," Regina said absentmindedly. "I cannot wait to try out that tub. It's bigger than the one I had in my old place."

"Come to bed," Emma said as she reached out and pulled at the towel that Regina had wrapped around her body. She reached for Regina's hand a second later and pulled her down on the mattress. "First night in our new place and we're both too tired to properly celebrate."

"Don't pout," Regina sighed softly and she reached over to flip off the single lamp that sat on the floor. "You're adorable when you pout, but don't. It's been a very long day, my love, and right now we need to get some sleep. We have a hectic couple of days ahead of us. I have class at eight on Monday morning and I'll be on campus until five. Henry starts his new school on Monday too and I don't want you to be unpacking alone."

"So, no celebrating at all for a few days?" Emma asked and the pout remained in place. Regina rolled her eyes and kissed it away quickly, but Emma had other ideas as she wrapped her arms and legs around her and pulled Regina on top of her. "Hi."

"I thought you just finished saying that you are too tired," she whispered and Emma just shrugged nonchalantly. "You're impossible sometimes, you do realize that, don't you?"

"You still love me though."

"I do," Regina smiled. It wasn't completely dark in the bedroom as the drapes had yet to be hung and she could see Emma's eyes sparkling with lust. "We can celebrate in the morning," Regina whispered. "Early."

Emma moaned quietly and let go of the tight hold she had on Regina. Despite the small second wind her libido had given her, Regina knew that Emma was far too tired to do much else other than kiss her goodnight. They shared a sweet kiss before Emma rolled over on her side and Regina snuggled in against her back, snaking an arm around her middle and held her close.

Sleep came easily and Regina dreamt of small moments with Emma, moments they'd already had together and moments they could have in the future together. She woke when the first rays of sunlight began to peak in the window and she smiled as she pressed her lips to Emma's bare shoulder and smoothed a palm over her toned abdomen. She had a leg between Emma's and as her palm slipped up and over Emma's breast, she felt the warm heat against her thigh begin to intensify.

One of her favorite moments was in the few minutes when Emma first woke in the morning. She loved to watch her wake up and she loved seeing the adorable scrunch of her face when she realized how early it was. She loved the way Emma would stretch out and groan before she blinked open her beautiful eyes. Some mornings, depending on the way the light shone upon her face, her eyes looked more green than blue, and other mornings, when it was dark and grey outside, her eyes flickered between green and blue, becoming a color Regina couldn't quite figure out what they were.

That morning, in that very moment, was no exception, but something felt so very different as Emma turned in her arms and her eyes fluttered open slowly. A smile broke out almost immediately and Regina ducked her head down to kiss over Emma's soft lips ever so lightly. Regina just smiled as she propped her head up with her hand and ran her fingertips along Emma's skin just below her navel.

"Good morning," Regina whispered and she leaned in to Emma as she stretched out languidly. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes," Emma murmured. "Good morning."

Regina leaned in for another kiss, one that started out soft and slow and quickly grew heated as Emma pulled Regina flush on top of her body. It had been a warm night and they had foregone sleeping under the sheets. Regina knew they were taking a risk as Henry had a terrible habit of coming in to wake his mother up early in the morning. Yet, as Emma kissed her deeper and Emma's hands slid over her ass, her short nails digging into her skin as she pulled Regina's cunt against her own, Regina forgot about everything else but the way Emma felt beneath her.

In the months since they'd first gotten together, they had both learned how to keep quiet when they weren't alone in the house. But, every once in a while it was hard for either of them to contain themselves, one or two loud moans escaping despite their attempts to hold back. Every time Emma moaned a little too loudly, Regina kissed her harder in an attempt to keep her quiet, wanting this moment to last as long as they could make it.

Regina kissed her way from Emma's lips, down her chin and along the column of her neck slowly. Emma's hands stroked over her back and her fingers slipped into her short hair, tugging gently as if she was torn between guiding her where she wanted her and back to her lips to continue kissing deeply.

Regina nipped at her collarbone teasingly, loving the way that Emma shuddered and twitched beneath her. She licked a languid trail down the center of Emma's chest and she knelt between Emma's spread legs, one hand braced against the mattress while the other blazed a burning trail with teasing touches along her breasts and abdomen. Regina kissed along Emma's skin unhurriedly, believing they had all the time in the world in that very moment, even though she knew they likely did not.

It wasn't often that Emma relinquished all control and allowed Regina to lead things, to top her, but Regina was holding on to that moment, anticipating that very second where Emma was going to flip her on to her back as she always did. Thinking of just that, Regina's languid kisses along Emma's skin quickened, her touch no longer teasing.

Emma's moans were becoming too loud and Regina kissed her way back up to her lips to quiet her. That moment she had been waiting for came almost a minute into their deep, passionate kiss and she gasped as her back hit the mattress and Emma hovered on top of her. Emma pulled back with a lascivious smile, one Regina knew all too well, especially in recent weeks. But it was the pitter-patter of small feet running down the hallway that caused them both to groan in disappointment.

They rushed to pull the sheets over their naked bodies in the mere seconds before Henry tentatively opened the door. They instantly fell into what had become somewhat of a normal routine during mornings like that when Henry came to the bedroom far too early. They pretended to be asleep, but unlike most mornings he'd walked in on them, he was on to them right from the start, knowing they were not actually sleeping as they pretended to be.

"Mama?" Henry whispered as he stood at Emma's side of the bed. "Mama, I can't find the bathroom. I forgot where it is."

Emma sighed and Regina turned to watch her as she rolled on her side. "It is just two doors down from your room, kid," Emma whispered. "You didn't have an accident, did you?"

"I'm five. I don't have accidents any more."

"Go in there," Emma said as she pointed to the open en-suite door. "And tonight I promise we'll put the night light in the plug by the bathroom door so you won't forget where it is tomorrow morning, okay? I just have to find it."

"Okay."

Emma sighed heavily as she turned to face Regina. "We need to get a lock or something on the door," she whispered as Henry disappeared into the en-suite and shut the door.

"Or we can discuss some rules with Henry about not entering the bedroom when the door is closed."

"He's five."

"And he is also a very bright child. He'll understand. He'll learn to knock, to respect our privacy and our space."

"He had to take a piss, Regina. Pretty sure he's going to forget respect and privacy when he has to go," Emma said quietly. "It won't be a problem anymore. We just need to find the night light and put it in the plug by the bathroom door."

"It's not a problem, Emma," Regina whispered and she moved under the sheets to wrap her arm around Emma. "In case you haven't realized this by now, but I know that you are raising two young boys and I know that time alone with you is a rarity. This is just a small, yet major part, in this life we're sharing together now. We'll talk to him over breakfast and set some rules, well one rule actually, about never entering our room when the door is shut. We don't need a lock, Emma, we just need to talk to him."

"Okay," Emma sighed softly and then she smiled. "Our room. I like it."

"Our house," Regina murmured and she kissed along Emma's neck lightly. "Our bed."

"Our sheets," Emma giggled and Regina rolled her eyes. When Henry walked out of the en-suite, he looked highly embarrassed and Emma leaned up on her elbows to look over at him, careful not to let the sheets slip down. "Hey, it's early still, Henry. Why don't you go back to sleep for a little while, okay?"

"Okay Mama."

"I'll come wake you up when it's time for breakfast."

"Can we have pancakes?"

"I bought some mix," Regina said with a smile and a nod. "We can most definitely have pancakes this morning, Henry."

"Yay!" He cheered before he clamped a hand over his mouth and whispered, "Nate's still asleep. I'm sorry. I'll be quiet."

Once Henry had walked out of the bedroom, Emma settled back down and Regina laid her head on her shoulder. They both let out a deep sigh as they laid in bed together. The moment they'd been having before had fizzled out almost completely with Henry walking in on them, but Regina wasn't going to let that bother her in the least.

She watched the sunlight as it poured in the window and she just smiled as she focused on the feel of Emma's steadily beating heart, the way that Emma stroked her fingers along her arm, and the way that Emma just felt against her. She knew for months now that she was so very lucky to have someone like Emma in her life and she knew that this second chance at love, at happiness, had happened because it was meant to be. She knew that the moment she read that first letter from Emma that her life would change in many ways, ways she couldn't predict or even dream of then.

They laid in bed for a good part of an hour before they both dressed and went to get the boys up. Emma went to get Nathan and Regina went to Henry's room, smiling when she saw him sprawled out on his stomach across the middle of his bed, his feet dangling off the edge and his mouth open just wide enough for a soft snore to escape with every deep exhale.

Regina walked quietly over to the bed and lightly tickled Henry's bare foot. She stifled a laugh when he murmured in a way that reminded her of the way Emma did when she was woken up from a deep sleep. She did it again, trailing her index fingers over the arch of Henry's right foot until he kicked and nearly fell off the bed as he tried to jump up.

"Gina!" Henry laughed and he threw his arms around her. "You are so silly."

"Am I?"

"You tickled me awake!"

"Did I?"

"Gina!" Henry giggled as she scooped him up and covered his little face with hundreds of tiny little fluttering kisses. "You're really living with us now, aren't you?"

"I am," she smiled at him. "How do you like the new house, my little prince?"

"It's big!" He exclaimed. "I like my new room a lot. I like it because it's mine. I don't have to share with Nate."

"Are you hungry?"

"Can we still have pancakes?" Henry asked as Regina held on to him and when she nodded, he wrapped his arms around her neck tightly. "I love you, Gina."

"I love you too, Henry."

They were the last to get down to the kitchen and Emma had already started with the pancakes while August stood at the counter nursing a cup of fresh coffee. She put Henry down on his feet and he pushed one of the chairs up to the counter to help Emma with the pancake mix and Regina wrapped her arms around Emma from behind, dropping a kiss to her shoulder where her too big t-shirt had slid down a little.

They were home now and Regina reveled in the warmth she could feel surround her, the warmth and the love from every single person in that very room. She had other homes before, but none of them had ever felt like that. None of them ever felt right and she knew why.

None of them ever gave her what her heart wanted most. A family and true love.


	12. Chapter 12

**Part XII**

By the middle of spring and after Regina had finished her finals for the semester, she made the life-changing decision to change her major. She had yet to tell Emma or even bring it up in a discussion with her, but once she walked off of campus and to the lot where she parked her car, the weight of her decision felt as if it were weighing her down.

In the months since they had moved in together, they had painted most of the rooms in the house. August had fixed some things around the house and built a play set out in the backyard for the boys. He'd also fixed up the studio, building a small little kitchenette and a three-piece bathroom. The garage had become his workshop and only a small part of it was used for storage and it had become one of Regina's favorite places to go and unwind when Emma wasn't at home when she returned from class.

Her relationship with Emma had only gotten stronger in the months since they'd moved in together. Every week they set aside one night to themselves, sometimes going out for dinner and a movie, sometimes they just stayed in and made love for hours on an end. Their talk with Henry the day after they moved into the house had gone quite well and he respected their privacy when the bedroom door was closed, always knocking if he absolutely needed one of them. It gave them more early mornings where they didn't have to worry about being interrupted; making love quickly and quietly before the sun rose too high in the sky and the boys woke up, hungry and cranky.

Emma had gotten herself a job at the beginning of May and while it wasn't much and it wasn't something she'd dreamt of doing, it was a job and it brought in some extra money they hadn't had coming in before. Her first job as a wedding photographer was for one of Charlie's brother's who got married and their photographer had suddenly dropped out. Regina and Emma had been invited to the wedding by Charlie and it just so happened, with a stroke of luck and maybe even a bit of fate, that Emma had her gear in the trunk of Regina's car from a trip they'd taken to the beach the weekend before. It was what started her working as a wedding photographer when Charlie started circulating the pictures of her brother and his new wife on their wedding day and the calls started to come in, one right after the other, booking Emma every weekend and the odd afternoon during the week.

Sometimes Regina went along on the jobs with Emma, becoming a guest at a wedding for people she didn't know at all. When Emma was on breaks, they'd drink, dance, and eat with the rest of the guests, enjoying their time together while August stayed at home with the boys. Other times, Emma would go on the jobs alone and she'd call as often as she could to tell Regina how much she missed her, how much she wished she was there, and sometimes how much she hated the job because the bride was a control-freak or some of the wedding party was too drunk to cooperate for that perfect group shot.

Regina sat in her car for the longest time, looking at her transfer papers that had been finally signed that morning. She was making a huge change; going from studying medicine to getting the education she'd need to become a teacher. The counselor she'd spoken with had told her that if she decided to change her mind in the future, she could still very much continue to pursue an education in the medical field. Her grades were good, amazing even, but her passion didn't lie in being a doctor. It never had and it never would, and it took a few months of talking herself into it for her to finally make that decision officially.

Regina took the long way home and despite the heat that lingered, she kept the windows down and the air conditioner off. The radio was on low and she hummed along to the song that was playing as her thoughts bounced around from telling Emma about her switching her major to wondering when they would ever get married since it wasn't exactly legal for two women to get married in any state in the country.

They hadn't talked much about getting married, but Regina had talked to Kathryn about it over the phone on those nights that Emma had gone to shoot a wedding without her. Kathryn explained to her that they could still get married, whether it was legally on paper or not. They could have a commitment ceremony, similar to that of a wedding, but different in many other ways. They could easily just wait to get married when it was legal to in the future—as Kathryn told her there were several activist groups pushing for a bill to be passed in their home state, but that could and would be years off, if it even got passed at all.

Regina felt her head pounding as she pulled up into the driveway, relieved to see that Emma's Bug was parked in its usual spot. She gathered up the folder with all her papers and headed inside, taking the side door that led through the small mudroom just off the kitchen. She stopped to pick up some of Henry's shoes he'd left in the middle of the floor and placed them on the cluttered shoe rack by the door. With a shake of her head, she walked into the kitchen and found Emma at the table going through stacks of photographs she had laid out in front of her.

"Hey," Emma said without looking up at her and after a few seconds, she looked at her watch and then looked over at her. "You're home early, aren't you?"

"No," Regina said with a small shake of her head as she sat down in the chair next to Emma. "I—I had a few things to sort out."

"Oh?"

"I thought perhaps we can talk about it tonight? Over dinner?"

"Sounds serious."

"It is, kind of," Regina replied and she shook her head. "What are these?"

"Our pictures. All of the ones we've taken since the end of February. I'm trying to put together some collages to hang up around the house," Emma replied. "There are just too many. It's hard to pick just a dozen or so of them. Do you want to help?"

"Any particular theme you're thinking of?" Regina asked and she remembered seeing the empty photo collage frames that Emma had picked up a few weeks back. She looked over the few of Nathan and Henry and picked up one that jumped out at her the most. It was taken the day August had finished building the play set in the backyard and the looks on both of their faces when they were able to finally go and see it were priceless. "I love this one, Emma."

"Yeah," Emma smiled and she plucked out one from the middle of the pile. "I love this one too," she said, showing the picture of the four of them sitting on the top of the play set where the slide began and Emma nearly losing grip on Nathan in the seconds before August had snapped the picture. "We have a beautiful family, don't we, babe?"

"Oh we do," Regina smiled and she leaned in to place a lingering kiss on Emma's cheek. Emma laughed and turned her attention back to the photographs. "Do you have any jobs lined up for the weekend?"

"Not yet, no," Emma replied. "Why? Is your mother coming down to visit again?"

"Yes," she frowned slightly. "But from the nature of her phone call the other day, this isn't just about her coming to visit us."

"She's coming to see August, isn't she?" Emma chuckled. "God, it's so weird their like…I don't know, what are they? Are they friends? Are they—" Emma shuddered. "God, it's so _weird_ , isn't it?"

"Quite."

"He seems…happy," Emma continued. "I guess in all the years I've known him, he's always been this solitary guy, you know? Cora brings out this whole other side to him. I think it's sweet."

"I think it's terribly wrong for us to assume that they are anything more than friends."

"How would you feel if they were? More than friends, I mean?"

Emma shuddered and then she let out a laugh that sent pleasurable shivers down Regina's spine. "I really don't want to think about _that_ , Regina. Like I said, it's weird, but they're kind of sweet together, aren't they?"

"Hmm," Regina sighed as she reached out to pull Emma in for a kiss, a proper kiss. "Perhaps we can ask them what is going on between them while my mother is here."

"That's all on you, babe. I'm on Cora's good side these days, no reason for me to give her a reason to hate me."

"She's never hated you."

"Maybe just a little?"

"No," Regina said, reassuring her with a firm kiss to her lips. "She's never hated you. She didn't understand our relationship at first, but you know how supportive she is now. All she wants is for us to be happy."

"And we are happy," Emma grinned and she tossed the few photographs she was holding back on to the table and reached to lift Regina on to her lap. "So, August took the boys out to the park and they aren't going to be back for a while."

"How long a while?"

"Two hours, at least," Emma whispered. "Three if I call him and tell him to take the boys out for ice cream and spoil their dinner."

Regina bit her bottom lip and shook her head. She settled on to Emma's lap fully and ran her fingers through her soft, long hair. She started to think about what she needed to tell Emma and suddenly she realized that waiting until they sat down to dinner to tell her wasn't going to be a good idea after all. She knew she should've told Emma months ago when she had started thinking about it and the longer that she put it off, the harder it became just to casually bring it up.

"What's up?" Emma asked as she rubbed her palms over Regina's hips lightly. "Babe?"

"What? Nothing is wrong," she said softly. "I'm just thinking that maybe I shouldn't wait until dinner to tell you the news."

"It is good news, right?"

"Yes."

"News that you're worried about?"

"A little bit."

"You didn't fail this semester did you?"

Regina shook her head. "You know I won't get my final grades until August at least, but it does have to do with school."

"Okay?"

"Do you remember when I told you that I wanted to be a teacher?" Regina asked and Emma just nodded as Regina continued to stroke her fingers through her hair. "I still want to be a teacher, Emma. I feel like I will never truly be happy being a doctor. It's never been about the money or anything, it's just—I just want to enjoy my career of choice. I want to make a difference in children's lives through knowledge. My mother never understood and I suspect she never will. She'll be highly disappointed when she finds out, but I am not a child anymore. It's taken me a long time to come to this decision and I—I hope you'll support me through this."

"Of course I am going to support you," Emma said immediately, a huge grin breaking out over her face. "Babe, I am really proud of you for making that choice. This is your life. You deserve to have some say in how it goes. I think," Emma paused as she pulled Regina in a little closer, as close as the chair would allow her to, "I think you would be an amazing teacher. I see the way you are with Henry when you help him with some of the work his teachers send him home with and how very patient you are. You are a natural at teaching and you are going to make a huge difference in many children's lives in the future. I have no doubt about it."

Regina kissed her then, her whole heart swelling with emotion that Emma unconditionally supported her in her decision, just as she unconditionally loved her and supported her with everything else.

"There is actually something that I wanted to talk to you about tonight at dinner too, but I think now is a good time to bring it up," Emma whispered when the kiss ended after several long moments. "I guess we don't have to wait until before you start your Masters now to get married, do we?"

"I guess we don't, no."

"That means we can get married at any time now, right?" Emma asked and she suddenly looked incredibly nervous. Regina just nodded slowly and stared down into Emma's eyes. Emma exhaled sharply and gripped on to Regina's hips a little harder. "How do you feel about Canada?"

"Canada?"

"Getting married there?" Emma asked, her voice barely louder than a whisper. "I mean, it's legal there and everything and I know our marriage wouldn't be recognized here, but we'd be married, legally fucking married, and that's all that matters, doesn't it?"

"We'd be legally married only in Canada."

"Technically."

"And where in Canada do you propose we get married, Emma?"

"Come with me," Emma said, lifting Regina up from her lap as she stood up abruptly. She didn't give Regina a chance to respond before she grabbed a hold of her hand and led her out of the kitchen and up the stairs into Henry's room.

"What are we doing?"

"Picking a place to get married," Emma said and she pulled Regina over to a map of North America, a poster that hung on Henry's wall beside his towering bookshelf. "Close your eyes and point. Wherever your finger lands, we'll get married there."

"And if I land on someplace other than Canada?"

"We'll just go again," Emma laughed, clearly excited by the idea of being purely spontaneous in the heat of the moment. "Come on, Regina, close your eyes and reach out, touch the map."

Regina exhaled sharply and closed her eyes. Emma stood behind her, her arms wrapping tightly around her as Regina lifted her right hand and extended her finger towards the map on the wall. She took a deep breath, letting her finger guide her blindly until she felt the laminated paper against the tip of her finger.

"Open your eyes."

"Did I land somewhere in Canada?" Regina asked, her eyes still tightly closed.

"Yes."

"Did I land way up north?"

"Not exactly," Emma chuckled low in her ear. "Open your eyes."

"East coast?"

"Yes. Open your eyes, babe."

Regina cracked one eye open and then the other. "I landed on the water?"

"No," Emma chuckled again. "Lift up your finger."

Regina slowly lifted her finger off the map and a smile broke out as she turned to face Emma. She had been to Prince Edward Island once when she was very young and it had been one of the most beautiful places she'd ever been before. Her father had taken her horseback riding along a rocky beach just as the sun was setting and it was a place that held a lot of happy memories of her early childhood.

"So?"

"You want to get married in P.E.I.?" Regina asked her. "Really?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded. "I mean, we can always pick somewhere else, but—"

"Let's do it. Let's get married there."

"Yeah?"

"Yes."

"How soon is too soon?" Emma asked and all Regina could do was laugh at the giddiness that Emma was showing in that moment. "I'm serious, babe. How soon is too soon?"

"We'd need at least no less than a month to make preparations," Regina said slowly as Emma begun to pull her backwards and towards the open door. "We should set a date, something realistic."

"Like the end of June?"

"Realistic, Emma."

"July?"

Regina sighed and after quietly promising her that they'd talk about this further at dinner, she allowed Emma to lead the way into their bedroom. They barely made it halfway through the door before Emma's cell phone was buzzing in the back pocket of her jean shorts.

"Swan," Emma said with an apologetic frown as Regina sat down on the edge of their bed. "No, I don't have anything lined up, Eddie. Yeah, yeah it is very last minute, but I can do it. What time? Four? All right," she said quickly and she moved to grab the pad of paper she kept on her nightstand. "All right, thanks. I'll be there just after three, go over everything with the bride and groom before everything gets started. Thanks. I'll talk to you in the morning. Take care of yourself, man. Bye."

"A job?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded and she turned off her phone, tossing it on to the dresser. "Eddie came down with the flu. I owe him a favor and he just called it in. He wants me to cover the wedding for him."

"And it's tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Eddie is going to call in the morning with more details. That's all he said. Now," Emma said as she moved to straddle Regina's thighs. "Where were we?"

"Right," Regina purred as she snaked her arms around Emma's neck. "Here," she whispered, their lips ghosting over one another's before Emma pulled her in the rest of the way for a crushing, hungry kiss.

Regina wasted no time in ridding Emma of her white tank top and she was pleased to find that Emma had foregone wearing a bra that afternoon. It was rare they had the house to themselves in the afternoon, just as rare as it was for them to find more than a handful of moments alone together. Regina smoothed her palms up Emma's toned abdomen and moved her lips down along her clavicle as she ran her thumbs over Emma's hardening nipples.

Emma guided her lips back up and they were kissing wantonly, their hands grasping at one another's clothes, pulling them off with a sense of urgency while they scrambled up to the middle of the bed together. Emma landed on her back, grunting hard as Regina pulled back from her lips with a salacious grin curling over her own lips.

Over the months that passed since they moved into the house together, Regina had become much more confident at taking full and complete control in bed with Emma, topping her more often than not. Emma seemed to enjoy this new side of her a lot, but even then she never became fully submissive, taking over control as a power-bottom, as she had so eloquently explained to Regina one night after a few too many glasses of wine.

"Can we—" Emma started but Regina silenced her with a deep, passionate kiss that left them both breathless when they pulled apart a moment later. "Can we use one of the toys?"

"Which one?"

"You know which one," Emma murmured as she ran her hands firmly over Regina's ass, pulling her down hard against her body. "The one I got for you…to use…on me."

"Oh."

Regina stilled all movement as she looked down at her beautiful blonde lover and she immediately hated the look of utter disappointment on her face and the pout that came with it. Regina kissed the pout away with a series of light, fluttering kisses that left Emma smiling in a matter of seconds. She was nervous about being the one to wear the strap-on and for good reason since Emma had been amazing every time they used the feeldoe, which hadn't been more than a handful of times, but nonetheless she felt she could not give her the same level of pleasure that Emma gave her.

Regina loved being on the receiving end, even if it was just once in a blue moon when they were feeling particularly adventurous and extremely turned on. What she loved more was just the two of them, fingers, lips, and tongue, hitting all those spots that stirred up the tenacious passion that laid beneath the surface of their skin.

"Hey, it's okay if you don't want to right now," Emma whispered against her lips, her breath falling hot, mixing with Regina's that came out in slow yet hard pants. "When you are ready…whenever that is…and hey," Emma paused as she shifted beneath her and reached up to cup Regina's face in her hands. "If that isn't ever, that's okay too."

"I am not saying never," Regina murmured. "I'm just…I like it when it is just you and me."

"I like it too."

"I—I want to," she said shyly and she turned to look away from Emma despite the fact that Emma was struggling to hold her gaze. "I'm scared I won't be able to…please you."

"Are you kidding?" Emma laughed and she stroked a thumb over Regina's cheek. "Do you know what you do to me when you just look at me?" Emma asked and Regina shook her head lightly. "Do you know how _wet_ you make me whenever you kiss me? Whenever you touch me, even if it's a touch just because we're close? Don't you know what you do to me when you just speak and your voice gets all low and husky and fucking sexy? Don't you know how many times I've had to stop myself from fucking jumping you every chance I get?"

"You do _jump_ me every chance you get, my love."

"Touché. Can you blame me?"

"I certainly cannot."

Emma laughed and she used that very moment to roll over and she elicited a surprise gasp past Regina's lips. "You know, don't you?"

"Hmm?"

"You know because you feel it too," Emma continued and she began to place hot, open-mouthed kisses along Regina's neck. "You can't resist me."

"I most definitely cannot," Regina moaned as Emma's lips descended lower at an unhurried pace. "Just as you cannot resist me either, my love."

Emma murmured against her skin, licking a lazy line across the top of Regina's breasts. Regina closed her eyes, focusing on the feel of Emma's lips against her skin and the way that the tip of Emma's tongue teased over hardening nipples. She focused on the gentle nip of Emma's teeth against the hardening flesh and the way she soothed it with her lips and tongue languidly. She loved it when Emma worshipped her that way, drawing out breathy sighs and moans, one right after another.

Regina's hands sunk into Emma's hair as Emma began to kiss along her abdomen. Emma parted her legs as she playfully nipped at the skin just below Regina's navel. Regina opened her eyes as she slipped her hands out of Emma's hair and glanced down at her, watching as Emma languidly licked the length of her sex.

She didn't hold back her moans as Emma tongue flicked over her throbbing clit. Her hands gripped at the white sheets as her back arched off the mattress, her whole body attuned to the pleasure Emma was giving her. Emma's tongue was warm and wet, moving over her clit as the tip of her finger teased at her entrance. Regina released the sheets and ran her hands over her own body, palming her breasts just as Emma glanced up to watch her.

"Fuck," Emma groaned before she wrapped her lips around Regina's clit and sucked hard.

Regina pinched at her hard nipples before her hands went down to Emma's head, holding her right where she wanted her, right where she needed her. Emma continued to suck on her engorged clit, eliciting one moan after another past Regina's lips.

"Emma," she gasped, her orgasm coming quickly as Emma continued to suck and lick over her clit. "Oh fuck, Emma!"

The finger teasing at her hole was replaced with Emma's tongue just as she began to come undone. Her body was quaking and she released her hold on Emma's head, panting hard as Emma began to suck at her hole, drawing out her orgasm further. Regina's toes curled when Emma didn't let up, twisting her tongue as deep inside of Regina as she could manage.

Her vision spun and she clenched her eyes shut, her orgasm unfurling into another and she whimpered at the sudden loss of Emma's tongue inside of her and blinked open her eyes when she felt the warm, wet kisses along the inside of her thigh. Emma crawled her way up Regina's body, smiling as she settled down on top of her and they met halfway for a lazy, deep kiss.

"Do you see what _you_ do to _me_?" Regina murmured. "The ways that you can make me come undone so quickly amazes me each and every time."

"I'm amazed too," Emma smiled and she nuzzled their noses together before she let out a small laugh. "I love you, Regina. Every day, every moment I am with you, I—"

"I ask myself how I got so lucky to have you in my life," Regina finished for her. "July twenty-first."

"Hmm?"

"I'm setting a date."

"Post-orgasm of all times," Emma chuckled. "July twenty-first?"

"Yes. That gives us roughly nine weeks to plan our wedding."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yes," Emma grinned. "I can't wait to marry you, Regina."

"And I you."

Regina loved the way Emma looked at her in that very moment and she used that very moment to gain the upper hand, flipping Emma effortlessly on to her back as she had done a thousand times before.

"Let me show you how much I love you…"

[X]

Emma zipped up the tight dress pants and pulled on her white tank top quickly. She was already running late to cover the wedding for her fellow colleague she'd met through some of Regina's friends at school.

"Babe, where is my white shirt?" Emma called out as she went through the closet, looking for a very specific dress shirt she needed to wear. "Babe? Regina?"

"It should be in the closet. I ironed it this morning for you," Regina replied from inside the en-suite where she was getting ready to attend the wedding as Emma's "assistant" as she sometimes did to attend the wedding gigs with Emma. "It should be right next to my dress. The black one."

"Well it's not there!" Emma groaned and she walked over to the dresser, pulling her hair back into a slightly messy bun. "I can't find my jacket either! Or my fucking tie!"

Regina appeared in the doorway wearing just a black slip, her makeup half done and her hair untouched. "Don't panic," she said calmly as she strolled over to the closet and she plucked out the crisp white button down shirt. "It was next to the dress, Emma."

"I didn't see it," Emma muttered and she leaned in to place a small kiss to Regina's cheek. "Thanks. I swear if it weren't for you, I'd always be late for these gigs."

"Check the top drawer, your tie should be right where you left it the last time," Regina said and she turned to walk back into the en-suite as Emma pulled on the crisply ironed shirt and quickly buttoned it up.

Emma rolled up the sleeves and went to the tall, skinny dresser, pulling open the top drawer and rooting around until she felt the smooth silk of the only tie she owned and had bought solely for those more formal weddings she was hired to do. She tossed the tie on top of the dresser and went back to the closet in search of her jacket to complete her suit. The garment bag it normally was stored in was open and it was also empty. With a growl of frustration, she stormed into the en-suite and stopped short when she saw Regina standing just a few feet away from the door wearing the very jacket she was looking for.

"Fuck me," Emma murmured under her breath. Emma pulled her suspenders up over her shoulders and whistled lowly. "God, you look so fucking hot, babe."

"Do I?" Regina purred as she reached out and pulled Emma close to her by her suspenders. "You look so _fucking hot_ too. I love it when you wear your suit."

Emma moaned as she ran her hands over Regina's hips and slipped over the curve of her ass. They definitely didn't have time to get caught up in one another, but Emma really couldn't help herself. She slipped her hands under the edge of the black, silky slip and grasped at Regina's ass just as Regina pulled her in for a deep kiss.

Regina moved a hand to the back of her neck, the other trailing up and over her suspenders and dangerously getting closer to her braless breasts beneath her shirts. She parted from the kiss first, swaying with Regina as her hands glided over the soft and firm skin of Regina's bare ass beneath her slip. She sighed and forced herself to move her hands to Regina's hips and she glanced over at the clock, frowning when she realized how little time they had left to get ready.

"I think later," Emma said as she reluctantly stepped backwards and Regina let her go with a small frown. "Later I am going to fuck you with nothing else on but this jacket."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah," Emma grinned. "Come on," she whispered as she reached out for the lapels on the jacket. "Let's finish getting ready, babe. We can't be late."

They shared one more kiss, not as passionate as the one they'd shared moments ago, and Regina slipped off Emma's jacket and walked over to the closet with a sway in her hips that caused her slip to ride up a little. It took all of Emma's willpower not to grab Regina and throw her down on the bed to have her naughty way with her. Emma watched as Regina pulled on her tight black dress before she stepped into her heels and headed back into the bathroom to finish her makeup.

Emma was waiting downstairs for her, checking over her equipment bags to make sure she had everything she'd need. She had to resist the urge to kiss Regina and focused instead on loading up the Bug with her equipment with Regina's help. They had done this many times before, enough that they had a routine down in packing up the equipment without anything being broken or left behind. Aside from a few stolen kisses, they had everything into the Bug in almost record time.

Halfway to the church, Emma turned to Regina, smiling as they waited for the red light to turn green. She licked over her lips and stared at Regina's long, toned legs, loving the teasing way that Regina crossed one over the other in a way that caused the hem of her dress to further ride up. Emma kept her left hand firmly on the steering wheel and leaned over to kiss Regina lightly on the cheek.

"You love to tease me, don't you?" Emma murmured as she slid her right hand over Regina's thigh, stopping herself just before she reached the edge of her dress. "You are going to positively torture me throughout this whole gig, aren't you?"

"I do love to tease you," Regina whispered. She placed a hand over Emma's and gently pushed it away. "But I do know how to keep things professional, my love. This is an important job, isn't it?"

"That's what Eddie said."

"Then we will remain completely professional until the job is done."

When the truck behind her honked its horn impatiently at her, Emma hit the gas and shifted the gear, knowing then that Regina would end up eating her own words before the night was through. Emma knew she had to pull herself together and figure out a way to get through the gig without being caught fucking her beautiful fiancée in the bathroom halfway through the reception—if they even made it that far.

[X]

Regina sipped from the glass of champagne that had been served to her as the cocktail reception kicked off. The bride and groom, along with the wedding party, were finishing up with photographs at the park across the street from the church and Emma had insisted she could handle it on her own and insisted that she joined the rest of the guests at the banquet hall down the street where the reception was being held.

"Hello," a woman with bright red hair said as she approached Regina. "Are you friends with the bride or the groom?"

"Neither," Regina replied casually and she sipped her champagne. "I am actually the photographer's partner."

"I'm Patrice," the woman smiled as she extended a hand. "Pleasure to meet you…?"

"Regina," she replied and she smiled as she almost immediately picked up on the woman's Boston accent. "And you? Are you friends with the bride or the groom?"

"I'm Robert's cousin," she replied. "His cousin from Boston," she added, laying the accent on a little thicker. "You aren't from around here, are you?"

"I'm not," Regina replied. "I'm from a small town in Maine, about four hours from Boston actually."

"Oh? Where about?"

"Storybrooke. I'm sure you have never heard—"

"Storybrooke?" Patrice asked with wide eyes. "No!" She gasped and she let out a small laugh. "I went to school with a woman from Storybrooke. Perhaps you know of her? Kathryn Nolan?"

Regina smiled. "I do. She's a close friend of mine, best friend actually."

"Oh, you're her!" Patrice laughed. "The one who is a lesbian," she said in a hushed whisper. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. Kathryn talked about you a lot when she was still in school. I haven't spoken with her in a while, not since she had her baby. How is she doing?"

"It's fine," Regina sighed and she took another sip of her champagne. "Kathryn is doing wonderfully. I spoke with her just a few days ago. Emma and I are planning to take the boys up to Maine in a few weeks—"

"Emma," Patrice said quietly. "Your fiancée, right?"

"Yes. She's the photographer, actually."

Patrice laughed and grabbed herself a glass of champagne from the waiter as he walked by with a tray of full champagne flutes. "When are you two planning to get married?"

"This summer," Regina replied. "We're thinking of getting married in Canada."

"Canada?" Patrice looked puzzled at that answer. "Why Canada?"

"It is legal there for us to—"

"You could get married anywhere in Massachusetts," Patrice cut in. "Legally, I mean. Surely you know that, don't you?"

"I—I had no idea, no."

"My sister specializes in gay weddings, she's a wedding planner and the weddings she has planned have been fabulous, if I say so myself," Patrice continued. "Our brother is a minister and he is one of the few who will willingly marry same-sex couples. Perhaps I can give you my number and I can get you two in touch with them? If you're interested?"

"I'll have to talk to Emma," Regina smiled politely. "But thank you, Patrice."

Regina took the woman's number, putting it in her clutch and politely excused herself. She downed the last of the champagne and placed the flute on one of the trays on the way to the bathroom. She exhaled shakily as she walked into the large bathroom and headed to the stall at the very end and she pulled out her phone, dialing Kathryn's number as she shut and locked the door behind her.

"Hello?" Kathryn answered on the third ring, the baby crying in the background.

"Hello Kathryn," Regina said quietly. "Is this a bad time?"

"No. Fred is just trying to feed Rylan and she's just being fussy," she sighed. "How are you, Regina?"

"I've just met an old friend of yours from school. Patrice?"

"You've met Patrice Green?" Kathryn chuckled. "Where on earth did you meet her?"

"Emma took a job at a wedding last minute and I joined her. I met Patrice not even five minutes ago and you would not believe the conversation that we just had," Regina said and she took a deep breath. And then another. "How come you never told me that Emma and I could get married anywhere in Massachusetts?"

"I thought I told you?" Kathryn sounded puzzled. "Didn't I? When we were talking a few weeks ago about when you two were planning on getting married and you told me that you two hadn't really talked about it?"

"Oh we've talked about it. We settled on a date, actually."

"You did? When?"

"July twenty-first."

"Oh my god!" Kathryn exclaimed and Regina chuckled lowly. "That's like two months from now!"

"Precisely. And no," she sighed as she paced as much as the small stall would allow her to pace. "You didn't tell me it was legal for us to get married anywhere in Massachusetts, Kathryn. I'm positive I would've remembered something like that."

"I swear I—"

"It's all right, Kathryn. It's not like it comes up casually during any of our conversations. I do want you to do one thing for me."

"Anything."

"Keep that date open," Regina replied. "I would like for you to be my matron of honor. Will you?"

"Are you kidding me?" Kathryn practically screeched and Regina had to pull the phone away from her ear. "Of course I will, Regina!"

"As you know, we're coming up to visit soon. We'll discuss this further after I've spoken to Emma. She has no idea, Kathryn. No idea at all."

Regina ended the call after a bunch of women came into the bathroom chattering loudly. She made her way back to the room the cocktail reception was taking place and she found Emma just outside the main doors going through some of the pictures on her digital camera. Regina stood at her side, looking down at the small display as Emma went through the pictures and they both smiled as their eyes met a moment later.

Regina decided then that she'd wait until they were at home later that evening to tell Emma what she had found out and that they could get married in Massachusetts instead of Canada—not that it made much of a difference, but it would in the long run. They shared a brief kiss before Emma had to hurry into place in the moments before the wedding party entered the hall, followed by the bride and the groom.

The night went on almost flawlessly and Regina found herself enjoying this wedding far more than some of the others she had attended with Emma. She ended up talking to Patrice whenever Emma was busy taking pictures of the bride and groom, and when things had slowed down for Emma considerably, the two of them ended up on the dance floor together, swaying to the music as they held on to one another and they both ignored some of the rude stares they received from some of the more conservative guests.

It was almost midnight by the time the bride and the groom were ready to leave and Emma took the last of the photographs before she packed up her equipment in the Bug. Regina helped her and when they were done, they headed home in almost silence with the radio on low and Emma reaching out to stroke a hand along her thigh when she didn't need to have her hand on the gearshift.

Even after months of living together, Regina never failed to be floored at the way that Emma craved her, the way that Emma needed her and wanted her. It was a feeling she had never experienced before with anyone else and it was something she knew she'd never find in anyone else other than Emma Swan. She had never craved someone the way she craved Emma either, and she never wanted and needed someone as much as she did Emma. The passion that flowed between them was strong and it ran so very deep, deep into the depths of her soul.

It was moments like that when she'd think of Daniel and the relationship they'd had before he died a hero's death. She had loved him dearly and a part of her still loved him to that very day, but she knew with every ounce of her being that it would've changed in an instant; it would've changed the moment she first met Emma face-to-face and it would've changed the course of her life and her marriage. As much as she had loved him, she knew now that nothing could compare to what she had with Emma, and nothing could ever compare or come close to the life and the future they would have together.

And, like most milestones in her life with Emma, she couldn't wait for what would come next.

[X]

Emma wiped at her forehead and pulled the last of the luggage out of Regina's car with a loud grunt, letting Regina's suitcase land on the driveway with a loud thud. It was warm, much warmer that she had expected Storybrooke, Maine to be at the beginning of June. She lifted the hem of her dark grey t-shirt and wiped at the perspiration on her face, knowing that Regina was watching her every move from the front porch of her mother's house.

The trip to Maine had been in the works for weeks and after the short visit Cora had made the weekend before, Emma wasn't exactly looking forward to spending a whole week with Regina's mother, but she was looking forward to seeing the town Regina had grown up in and to meet some of her friends. She was mostly looking forward to meeting Kathryn and Frederick and their baby, a meeting that was going to happen later that afternoon when just the two of them would join Kathryn and her husband for dinner at their house that was just a few blocks away from the Mills' house on Mifflin Street.

"Where do you want me to put this?" Emma asked as she carried the heavy suitcase up to the front door. "Babe?"

"Hmm?"

"Where do you want me to—"

Emma was cut off by Regina's lips on hers in a crushing kiss. Emma staggered a little before she wrapped an arm around Regina's hips and held her close, kissing her back with just as much fevered hunger. They both pulled apart when the front door opened and Emma let out a sigh of relief to see it was only August.

"You ladies need a hand with that?" August asked and he didn't wait for Emma to answer and instead just grabbed Regina's heavy suitcase with a grunt. "Where do you want me to take this?"

"Upstairs," Regina said softly. "Second door to the left. Where are the boys, August?"

"Cora is making them sundaes in the kitchen," he replied as he headed inside.

"She's spoiling them," Regina frowned and she turned to Emma, her frown deepening. "She never made me a sundae unless it was a special occasion."

"It kind of is, isn't it?" Emma asked her. "I mean this is the first time we've come up here and everything. She must've missed the boys."

"I think she missed August more," Regina muttered under her breath and she reached for Emma's hand, her frown turning into a smile. "Come, let me give you the grand tour of the house."

Emma smiled as she intertwined her fingers with Regina's and allowed her to lead the way through the mansion. Emma knew she was purposely avoiding the kitchen as Regina led her up the stairs to the bedrooms. What surprised Emma the most was in one room was a crib and a small bed, the room the boys would be sleeping in while they were visiting, Regina had explained and then they ended up in Regina's old bedroom.

Emma let go of her hand and wandered over to the desk. She looked at the pictures that had been left behind and she spotted a few of her first photographs she'd taken and sent to Regina years ago. She smiled as Regina wrapped her arms around her from behind and pulled aside her hair to kiss along the side of her neck.

"You truly did keep everything, didn't you?"

"Yes," Regina whispered. "All of your letters are at the house."

"I kept everything too," Emma said as she turned in Regina's arms. "Do you miss it sometimes?"

"Miss what? Writing to you? Living hundreds of miles apart and not seeing you?" Regina asked and she shook her head no. "Definitely not. Do you?"

"Sometimes, but not the fact that we were apart. I loved reading letters from you, Regina. I loved the way your writing looked, the way it flowed and—what are you doing?" Emma asked as Regina slipped out of their embrace and grabbed a piece of paper and a pen off the desk. "Regina?"

Regina didn't answer her and she bent over slightly to write on the paper. Emma bit her bottom lip as she ran her hands over the curve of Regina's ass, unable to keep her hands to herself, as usual. Regina leaned back into her touch before she turned around and held out the piece of paper she had folded.

Emma took it and opened it. "Marry me?" Emma laughed. "You already asked me to marry you, Regina."

"I know. I'm asking you again."

"Yes. A thousand times yes."

"Will you marry me in three days?"

"I'll marry you right now if I could."

"Emma, I'm serious."

"What?" Emma blinked and Regina just nodded. "Didn't we decide to get married in July?"

"Yes, but I don't want to wait that long to marry you, Emma."

"Well, we gotta drive up to Canada and—"

"No, we don't," Regina whispered. "We can get married anywhere in the state of Massachusetts. Anywhere."

"What about planning the wedding?" Emma asked, suddenly feeling nervous. "Don't you want this amazing wedding with—"

"It will be," Regina whispered and she nuzzled her nose against Emma's lightly. "I met someone at the wedding the other week. I've been in touch with her about the wedding and luckily for us, her sister is amazing at what she does."

"Huh?"

"The woman I met, her sister is a wedding planner and their brother is a minister. I wanted it to be a surprise, my love."

"I am fucking surprised. I thought we were going to get married in Canada next month?"

"Don't you find it curious that even though we planned to marry in July that we hadn't exactly started doing _anything_?"

"Yeah, but I thought—"

"I know we haven't really talked about what we both want, but I know you, Emma, and I know you don't want anything big and extravagant. It'll just be family when we get married because that is all that matters is family. We don't need some big ceremony or a wild and crazy reception. We just need each other and our family."

Emma was overcome with emotion and she was utterly speechless. She just wrapped her arms around Regina and spun her around a few times before their lips met in a sweet and deeply passionate kiss. Emma pulled back suddenly and frowned.

"Don't we need a marriage license, Regina?"

"Yes, we're going to fax it over to the courthouse in Boston when we're over at Kathryn and Frederick's later."

"You already have it?" Emma asked. "How did you get it without me?"

"Kathryn and Patrice pulled a few strings. All we have to do is sign it and fax it over before five tonight."

"This isn't a joke, is it?"

"No."

"This is really happening, Regina?"

"Yes it is, my love."

"What do I need to do?"

"Just marry me in three days."

"Do you have a dress?" Emma asked and from the coy smile Regina gave her, it was all the answer she needed. "What am I going to wear?"

"I brought your suit," Regina whispered huskily. "You know how much I love that suit."

"What about—"

"Emma, relax," Regina said soothingly. "Everything is taken care of and yes, August knows as does my mother. August made sure to bring suits for the boys to wear as well."

"Rings!" Emma exclaimed and Regina just kissed her lightly. "You got them already, didn't you?"

"Yes, Emma, I did. You'd be surprised how much I was able to get done once I started talking to Patrice and her sister Annabelle. All you need to do is write your vows, my love."

"We're writing our own vows?" Emma asked, blinking rapidly as the nerves increased tenfold. "And I have three days to write them?" She asked and she shook her head. "You already wrote yours, didn't you, Regina?" When Regina didn't say a word, Emma let go of her and ran her fingers through her hair. "Where are we even getting married?"

"Annabelle has a house on the coast just north of Boston. Her backyard is right on the ocean. We're going to get married right there on the dunes."

"Regina I—I don't know what to say."

"I wanted it to be a surprise."

"I am fucking surprised," Emma murmured softly. "I just—I don't know what to say."

"Are you upset that I surprised you with this? I know you wanted to plan our wedding together, but—"

"I'm not upset," Emma said quickly as she moved to wrap her arms around Regina once again. "I'm just…fucking surprised, is all."

"You keep saying that."

"I am."

"You're upset."

"I'm not," Emma said sincerely. "I'm not upset, Regina, I'm just…fuck, this is really happening, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"We're going to get married in three days?"

"We are."

They shared a loving and passionate kiss, one that would've continued much further if it hadn't been for Cora calling the two of them down to the kitchen to join her and the boys for homemade sundaes. They went downstairs hand in hand and Regina shared the news that she had spilled the surprise. August was the first to whoop loudly, grabbing on to Emma and spinning her around and Henry joined in while Nathan looked at everyone curiously, oblivious to what was even going on.

Cora took Emma aside once the excitement had died down a little and she led Emma into the study where she shut the door behind her and had Emma sit down on the sofa in front of the large fireplace. Emma's nerves came back once again as Cora sat down next to her and reached for her hands, an unreadable expression on her face.

"I have something I was going to wait to give to you two until after you got married," Cora began and she took a deep breath before a small smile curled over her lips. "I know that you two have a life down in Florida and that you two have a home there now, but I want you two to have a place that is truly yours."

"Cora—"

"Since my husband died, I've been putting off on downsizing. This house is far too big for just me," she continued. "I know this is Regina's childhood home and I know you may not feel like it is your home as well, but I want you to know that this _is_ your home, Emma. I want you and Regina to have the house."

"You are giving us this house?"

"For when you are ready to make that change and no, dear, I won't be offended if you choose to stay in Florida, but I want to give the house to you both. Storybrooke is a wonderful place to raise a family and if I know Regina as well as I believe I do, she will want more children one day. This house can provide for you both the space you'll need to raise a family."

"Cora, I—I don't know what to say. Does Regina know that—"

"Not yet," she said softly. "I wanted to talk to you about this first, dear, because I know your home is in Florida and Regina's is here in Storybrooke. I'm giving you the option to say yes or no because I know Regina will want you to make that decision."

"Do I have to decide now?"

"No, dear," Cora said softly. "Take as long as you need."

"Thank you, Cora."

[X]

After they spent the weekend in Storybrooke, they made the drive down to Boston. Regina had already written her vows and she was driving as Emma scribbled hers on a pad of paper she continuously kept trying to hide from Regina's wandering eyes. Regina had been in a constant state of worry ever since she told Emma that they would be getting married far sooner than they had originally planned, but for Regina, the timing seemed to be just right and she loved surprising Emma.

The drive to Boston was long and the boys were growing antsy in the backseat after just two hours on the road. Her mother had gone along with Kathryn, Frederick and the baby in their van while August trailed behind on his Harley. They made two stops along the way, one to get gas and the other to give the boys a break from being cooped up in the car for too long. They had already endured three days on the road and Regina knew that Emma was dreading the drive back home they'd be making at the end of the week.

Regina reflected back on her last-minute decision to surprise Emma with a wedding. She had been speaking with Patrice on the phone the day after she'd met the woman at the wedding and after talking for a short while, they conference called her sister Annabelle. It all fell into place instantly when Regina explained that she wanted the wedding to be very low key and personal, with only family there when they wed. She wasn't hung up on the minor details, leaving that up to Annabelle after she gave her a price range she was comfortable on spending.

She remembered how nervous she'd been in the days leading up to the trip to Storybrooke and those very same nerves were coming back again. She had spent days and nights wondering if Emma was going to be upset with her for planning the wedding without her and even in the days since she'd told Emma, she still worried that Emma was upset that she'd gone ahead and did everything without her.

Just the night before, she'd spent hours making tiny little paper flowers, a symbol of their relationship right from the start. She made ones for the boys to wear in the front pockets of their suits and one for Emma. She made up a small bouquet for herself and she had stashed it away in the Bug without Emma even knowing.

"Hey," Emma said as she reached out for her. "You want to switch for a little while?"

"I'm fine," Regina smiled over at her before she clicked the seatbelt into place. "How are you coming along?"

"I'm almost done," she smiled and she leaned over the center console to steal a kiss from Regina before she settled back in her seat. "I'm excited."

"As am I."

"I'm nervous too, Regina."

"Why, my love?"

"I don't know," Emma laughed uneasily. "This all seems so sudden, doesn't it?"

"Are you sure you aren't upset with me?"

"No! God, no," Emma said quickly. "I'm _not_ upset, babe."

Regina frowned and she slid the key into the ignition. She glanced at the boys in the rearview mirror and readjusted it to look back at Kathryn and Frederick's van that was parked behind them in the rest stop. The low rumble of August's Harley made her turn her head to look out at the window at him.

They weren't far from Annabelle's house, where they'd all be staying overnight. Regina had been warned it'd be a bit tight, but that they were all welcome there. Despite the fact that Annabelle was a complete stranger to them, Patrice was not a stranger to Kathryn. After she gave August a copy of the address, he led the way out of the rest stop.

Emma was quiet for the remainder of the drive, save for the few times she had to tell Henry to stop asking if they were there yet. When August made the turn down a narrow gravel driveway, Emma reached out and placed a hand on Regina's thigh and they stole a quick glance and a smile before Regina carefully made each turn on the driveway until the house came into view.

"Wow, this place is amazing," Emma said under her breath as Regina parked the car behind the white convertible that was parked in front of the house. "We're really getting married here?"

"Out on the dunes," Regina smiled at her and she put the car into park and leaned over to steal a kiss and then another from her soon-to-be wife. "Come on, Patrice should be here already. Annabelle will be coming around later to go over some final details."

"Hey," Emma said as she stopped her from getting out of the car. "You are amazing, Regina. I know I'm probably not as near as excited as you thought I'd be about all of this, but I really am excited about this. I cannot wait to marry you."

"By this time tomorrow, we will be married."

"I know."

Regina allowed her one last kiss before they got out of the car and got the boys out of the backseat. August and Frederick took care of the bags and Patrice came out of the front door with a glass of wine in her hand and excitedly ushered them into the house. After a quick tour, they all headed down to the dunes on the beach where Annabelle was working with a few landscapers to flatten out part of the dunes where the ceremony would be taking place.

It was far more beautiful that the pictures Annabelle had sent to Regina's email just days before they'd made the trip up north. Emma stood behind Regina with her arms wrapped around her as they took in the scene all around them.

Regina turned to look at Emma and they smiled before their attention turned to Henry and Nathan as they ran over the soft sand down near the water under Cora and August's watchful eye. She could tell just from the way that Emma was fidgeting slightly that she wanted to run and get her camera and take some pictures of the scenery all around them. She leaned in to Emma and whispered for her to go get her camera, and after sharing a lingering kiss, Emma ran off to the car to get her camera bag out of the trunk.

"What do you think?" Annabelle asked. "Is this what you were thinking of, Regina?"

"Yes," Regina nodded and she smiled as she wrapped her arms around herself. "It's absolutely wonderful, Annabelle. Thank you so much for having us here."

"It is my pleasure," the petite woman smiled. "Come, let me show you where we're going to have the dinner after the ceremony."

Regina followed the woman to the sandy, grassy backyard. She slipped out of her shoes and walked along the soft ground to where a large gazebo sat under the shade of some willow trees. There was a table just big enough for their family to sit around for dinner and she was already lost in her own little world as Annabelle explained all the little details she had planned out for the next day.

Regina's eyes drifted over to where Emma was standing on the dunes taking pictures of the boys as they played in the sand by the water and she smiled when Emma turned and pointed the camera at her as she began to walk over towards her.

"Mama, come look! Uncle August pushed Grandma Cora into the ocean!" Henry shrieked, pulling both of them out of their moment.

Regina looked over at her mother as she rose from the water, not amused in the least as August and Nathan laughed uncontrollably. Regina had to stop Emma from taking pictures of her mother and they watched as Cora glared at August, lunging after him only after he had put Nathan down on the sand.

"Are you ready to officially be a part of our crazy family, Regina?"

"Yes," Regina smiled. "I am more than ready."

Regina pulled Emma in for a kiss by the strap of her camera that was around her neck. She smiled against in the few lingering seconds before they were inevitably pulled apart by the sound of Henry's voice calling out for them.

"Mama, Mommy!" Henry squealed and Regina looked over to see that her own mother was chasing after him on the sand. "Grandma is coming after me, Mama!"

"Grandma, huh?" Emma chuckled. "Bet Cora just loves that."

"She does," Regina smiled warmly. "She loves Henry, Emma. She loves Nathan. But most importantly of all, she loves you."

"She must if she gave us the house."

"What?" Regina looked at her in confusion. "She gave us the house?"

"She talked to me about it the other day when we first got there, about giving us the house as our wedding gift. She left the decision up to me."

Regina blinked through the tears that built up quickly in her eyes. She expected a lot of things from her mother, but for her mother to give them a home, more specifically, Regina's childhood home, was one thing she had never expected of her. Regina reached up to grasp at Emma's shoulders and shook her head in disbelief.

"I know right now you've got to finish school, get your degree and everything, but I'm not really tied down and I doubt I'll ever be, job wise at least. I was thinking of taking her offer, taking the house, and moving here once you are done school?"

"Emma, I can't ask you to do that."

"You're not. I like it up here, you know? It's different than everything I've always known. I know that Tallahassee is my home, it's where my parents are buried, but I'll always have that house and you know as well as I do that it's not big enough for our family. The first time that Henry saw snow was when we were in New York City and I—I want him to experience that again, every year for the rest of his life. I want Nathan to experience that too and most of all, I want to make a life where I know you are happiest."

"I am happiest with you," Regina trembled. "No matter where we are, as long as I am with you, I am happy."

"So, once you've graduated, what do you say? Do you want to move to Storybrooke, Regina?"

"Only if that is what you want."

"I want you," Emma grinned. "I'm marrying you tomorrow. I am planning on spending the rest of my life with you. I want to have a family, to grow our family. I want to, I don't know maybe even get a dog because Henry has been hinting at it for a while now and—"

Regina kissed her hard as the sounds of laughter surrounded them. Regina's heart was pounding hard in her chest and the rest of the world just melted away as Emma's arms wrapped around her securely.

"No dog," Regina whispered against Emma's lips. "My mother may have given us the house, but she'll still forbid any animals from living there."

Emma laughed and shook her head. "Of course," she sighed. "You can be the one to break it to him. You know how I can't say no when he pouts."

"He gets that from you, Emma," Regina teased and she kissed her once more only to be interrupted by August as he threw his arms around them both.

"Save the kissing for tomorrow ladies," he chuckled. "Em, you're missing out on some prime shots for the family album here. Cora is—"

"Grandma!" Henry squealed as Cora scooped him up and marched towards the water. "Grandma no! It's too cold!"

Emma just pulled the strap from around her neck and dumped the camera into August's hands and before Regina realized what she was doing and before she could make a run for it, Emma scooped her up and put her over her shoulder and marched over the dunes and down towards the water where Cora was precariously holding Henry over the water.

"Emma Swan, don't you dare!" Regina exclaimed as she grabbed at the hem of Emma's t-shirt. "Emma Swan, you put me down right now or so help me you will—"

"I will what?" Emma asked and she playfully slapped her ass before dumping her into the cold water feet first. Regina moved quicker than she knew Emma expected her to and she pulled her down into the water, straddling her hips as the gentle waves rolled in. "Shit, that's cold! Regina—"

Regina kissed her then, hard and deep and full of passion despite how cold her body was growing and despite the fact that their family was watching their every move. Before things got a little too out of hand and indecent, Regina pulled back and flipped her wet hair back, shivering as she turned to look over at her mother and Henry standing just a few feet away.

The laughter continued throughout the afternoon and they quickly warmed up by chasing Henry and Nathan up and down the beach under the warmth of the early June sun. It was as close to a perfect day as it could get, but the best day of both their lives was still yet to come.


	13. Chapter 13

**Epilogue**

 _"_ _I believe it was fate that brought us together, fate that destined our lives to become one. I believe that we were truly meant to be together even though it took us almost seven years to figure that out for ourselves. I remember the first letter I ever got from you even though it took me weeks to respond, I remember every letter after that, all the emails and the phone calls that transpired over the years. I don't know when I fell in love with you, I just know that when I realized it, everything in my life changed forever. I don't think I believed in true love before I met you, Emma, but I believe in it now, just as I believe you are my soul mate, my one and my only. Everything else I have gone through in my life was just a path that paved its way to you."_

 _"_ _Regina, words cannot describe how much I love you, nor can actions. When we first met, through our letters, I found it so easy to pour my heart out to you, to a complete stranger I hand picked you off a list to get out of some heavy trouble at the time. I don't know what it was that made me pick you, but I'm forever grateful that I did. I gained a friend, a best friend, and then a lover, and now my wife."_

 _"_ _You're not married yet!" August said and Emma laughed and shook her head._

 _"_ _Like you, I believe it was fate that brought us together, Regina. We have gone through so very much, together and on our own, but I don't want to know a life without you in it and I know I never will have to after today. You are the light in my life do you know that? You are the sunbeams I was chasing years ago, the light shining through on a stormy, dreary day. I know, I know, you said something very similar to me once, but it rang so true in my heart that I couldn't find a better way to put it into words just what you are to me, what you'll always be. We are as different as we are alike and I could spend all day listing off all the things that I love about you, but your mother is here and there are kids with impressionable young minds listening."_

 _Regina chuckled and wiped at the tears that had started to fall. Emma shook her head and leaned in to kiss the tears away. "I love you, Emma."_

 _"_ _I love you, Regina."_

 _"_ _The rings?" The minister said quietly as he gestured towards August who stood just off to Emma's side. "Regina Mills, repeat after me…"_

"Are you watching it again?" Regina asked as she sat down on the couch next to Emma in the dark living room, the only light coming from the TV and the copy of their wedding video. "My love, are you all right?"

"That was the happiest day of my life," Emma whispered. "The start of the rest of the happiest days of my life."

"I know, my love," Regina whispered softly. "I cannot believe it has been five years since we got married."

"Five years tomorrow," Emma smiled over at her and they both placed their hands on top of Emma's growing belly. "And in less than a week from now, we're going to meet our daughter."

"Have you decided on a name?" Regina asked as she moved to curl up at Emma's side.

"I thought we were going to do that together?" Emma sighed and she turned down the volume on the TV, but she didn't pause or stop the video of their wedding. "I—I don't know what to pick, Regina. I want to wait to meet her."

"Then we'll wait to meet her before we decide on her name."

"I can't believe she's almost here," Emma sighed as she ran her fingers through Regina's short, soft hair. "It feels like just yesterday when we—"

"I know."

Emma sighed as she watched the video play out on the screen, remembering even the parts that didn't make the cut for the video like it had all just happened yesterday. She turned her attention to her wife as Regina lifted up the hem of her oversized t-shirt to expose her stomach and she hummed softly when she felt Regina's soft fingertips stroke along her skin just below her navel.

It had been two years of trying, the first year of them learning the hard way that Regina was unable to have any children of her own and then another year of Emma trying to get pregnant from the anonymous donor they had spend hours handpicking out of hundreds off of a list. The second to last unsuccessful attempt had nearly put them off on trying to have a child together, but it had been Cora who convinced them to try one last time.

And there they were, nine months later, awaiting the arrival of their daughter and about to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary. A lot had happened over the years, especially after Regina had graduated and they made the move to Storybrooke, Maine to start the next chapter of their lives together. It had been a big adjustment for all of them, especially for Henry and for Nathan.

Henry had adjusted quickly, moved up ahead a grade that first year. Nathan woke up in the middle of the night for weeks, crying and asking to go home even though Emma and Regina had both explained to him that they were home. Even though he was three at the time, it took him almost a month before he understood that they weren't going back to the house in Florida.

Regina had settled into teaching the eighth grade at Storybrooke Elementary and Emma had taken odd jobs over the years, not just for weddings, but for other special occasions and even just shooting a family on a beautiful, sunny afternoon at the park just because the parents wanted lasting memories of their children that were growing up far too fast. August had followed them to Storybrooke, but he had moved back down to Tallahassee after a year with a strong drive to finish his first novel in years and one that had shot up the bestseller list within weeks of it being released. His story? It had been theirs. With a twist, of course.

They spent a lot of time—especially on weekends—with Cora in the condo she'd bought in Portland, a half hour drive from Storybrooke. To the boys, she was Grandma, and to Emma, she had over the years started calling her Mom—at Cora's surprising request. Regina had told her time and time again that her mother had changed almost from the moment she had first found out about their relationship, and that Regina's relationship with her mother had never been as strong as it had grown to be over the last five and a half years.

"Moms?" Henry called out tentatively and Emma turned to find him lingering in the living room doorway.

"Hey," Emma smiled and she hit stop on the remote before Regina reached out to flip the lamp on, one hand staying on her exposed belly and continuously rubbing over the skin just below her navel. "Isn't it past your bedtime, kid?"

"Yeah, but I couldn't sleep," he said quietly. "Can I come sit with you?"

"Just for a little while," Regina replied and Henry came into the living room and sat down next to Emma with a soft sigh. "Why can't you sleep, Henry?"

"I keep thinking about my baby sister," he said with a smile as he reached out to place a hand on top of Emma's stomach. "She's coming soon, isn't she?"

"Within the next week, we're hoping," Regina smiled at him. "Are you excited?"

"Yeah," Henry nodded and he curled into Emma's side. "What's her name?"

"We don't know yet."

"When will you know?"

"When we meet her for the first time, kid," Emma whispered and she placed a hand over his and smiled at him. "You got any suggestions?"

"I don't know," Henry mused and he rubbed over her belly slowly. "Whatever her name is, it has to be perfect, right?"

Emma smiled and leaned over to plant a kiss on top of his head. "Right. It'll be perfect, whatever her name ends up being," she whispered and she ruffled his hair. "Are you ever going to get a haircut, kid?"

"Mom," Henry groaned as he pulled away from her. "I like it like this. You know that."

"I like it too," Regina smiled, sticking a tongue out at Emma before she too reached out to ruffle Henry's hair. "I should go check on Nathan."

"He's asleep," Henry said. "I heard him snoring before I came down here."

"He's six," Emma said evenly. "He doesn't snore."

"He does so! I can hear him all the time! I can't ever sleep."

"Kid, you're about to have a baby sister," Emma reminded him. "Sleep is going to be a thing of the past."

"Can't you guys buy me some ear plugs or something?"

Emma laughed and shook her head. "You'll live through it, kid, just like we all will."

"Well, I need ear plugs for a whole other reason," Henry muttered as he pulled back from her. "You and Mom aren't as quiet as you guys like to think you are."

"Henry!" Emma gasped mockingly. "I'll have you know that we haven't—"

"I think it's time for you to go back to bed, dear," Regina said abruptly. "I think it's time for all of us to go to bed, wouldn't you say so, Emma?"

It was almost three hours later when Emma woke up in their bed with cramps in her lower abdomen. She turned over on her left side, her back to Regina and she tried to breathe quietly and steadily through the pain, pain that did subside after a few deep, controlled breaths as she rubbed over her stomach firmly.

But it just kept on coming in waves and not like it had in the past month. It was just past three in the morning when Regina woke up to the sounds of Emma's soft moaning as she tried to breathe through each of the contractions. Regina laid behind her, rubbing over her stomach as she placed soft kisses along her neck and shoulder.

For Emma, it was nothing like it had been like with Henry, but there were some similarities that she only began to realize when the contractions began to come quicker and each one sharper than the last. Regina was there, rubbing her stomach and helping her to breathe through each one, and by five that morning, she left the bed and got the boys up, called her mother and started packing a bag—something Emma had been putting off doing for the last two weeks despite the fact that Regina had made up an entire birth plan that they were supposed to be following.

By seven that morning, they were admitted into the hospital and Emma's contractions had subsided and the doctor, Dr. Whale, told her she was only just two centimeters dilated which meant she still had quite a way to go yet. Regina never left her side, right there with her through every contraction, there even when she managed to catch no less than an hour of sleep every once in a while. Even after ten hours after being admitted—and not the way either thought they'd be spending their fifth anniversary, Regina never once left Emma's side.

"Come on, my love, you got this," Regina whispered into her ear as she held on to one hand and rubbed over Emma's stomach with the other. "Breathe, Emma, breathe. It's almost time."

"I'm done," Emma gasped, trying not to hold on to Regina's hand too tightly as the contraction rippled through her, the worst of them yet. "Oh god, Regina, get this kid out of me!"

"Breathe," Regina whispered and she placed a kiss on Emma's cheek and then another just shy of her lips. "Dr. Whale is on his way now, my love. Not much longer now."

"Five—five years," Emma gasped out and she reached out for Regina, pulling her in as close as she could manage on the bed she was on. "Babe, it's been five years."

"Five amazing years," Regina smiled. "I love you, Emma."

"I love you," Emma whispered. "Get. This. Baby. Out. Of. Me!"

"She'll be here soon," Regina whispered and she placed a firm kiss on Emma's lips that lingered until Dr. Whale entered the room and cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Who is ready to have a baby?"

Emma glared. Regina just held her resolve and held on to Emma's hand tighter as the doctor and the two nurses prepped for the birth. Emma wasn't scared, she was anxious, and the pain wasn't even half as bad as it had been when she'd given birth to Henry on the front lawn ten years before.

Just after seven that evening, after almost twelve hours of being in the hospital and even longer than that in labor, Emma gave birth to a healthy baby girl with dark curly hair and a set of lungs. Throughout the first screams of their baby girl, Emma and Regina just clung to one another, both breathing heavily and basking in the very moment they'd been waiting years for.

"Mom? Will you do the honors?" Dr. Whale asked as he held out the scissors and Regina let go of Emma then, only just long enough to cut the umbilical cord before she was right back at Emma's side and kissing her over and over again.

"She is here," Regina whispered as they both listened to their baby girl cry and cry as the nurses rushed to clean her and weigh her. "She's here and she's healthy, Emma."

"She's a screamer."

"Just like her mother," Regina chuckled lowly.

"What is her name?" One of the nurses asked. "Moms?"

"Bailey," Regina whispered and Emma, despite the momentum of pain, gasped as she looked over at her wife. "Bailey Margaret Swan-Mills."

"That's perfect."

"She is perfect," Regina smiled. "She's ours."

"And she is…perfect," Emma gasped as a nurse placed her baby girl on her chest for the very first time. "Hello, Bailey."

Emma was fighting the fatigue, but she kept her eyes open just long enough for August to slip in and take those first few precious photographs before she succumbed to the exhaustion and the inevitable pull of sleep.

[X]

Regina woke up at three in the morning for the first month, feeding their daughter to let her wife sleep those few extra hours she so desperately needed. She woke up at seven every morning to get the boys ready for school, to give Emma that extra hour before she headed off to work, dropping the boys at the before school program they were enrolled in that gave her and Emma that little extra time for the baby and their own personal lives.

By the time Bailey hit the sixth month mark, and Nathan turned seven, Emma had bounced right back and was taking jobs left and right, nothing too significant, but ones that gave her the freedom of her own creativity that also brought in that extra bit of money by the end of the month.

Regina used the winter break to reel back and reflect on her life over just past the half a year since their daughter was born. She used that time off to be with her wife, to reconnect in ways they hadn't for years. Just days before the new year, they found out they could legally be married in Maine and planned to renew their vows that following spring and to have the big wedding they never had the first time around.

It was early the morning after the news came through and Regina stood in the study with Bailey on her hip, looking at the framed picture of the ocean with the single sunbeam shining through the grey clouds out over on the water. Bailey cooed as she reached out towards the picture and Regina smiled as she took the chubby hand in her own.

"Mama is so talented, isn't she?" She whispered into the soft dark curls and Bailey cooed again. "One day we'll take you there, to where Mama grew up and you'll see how beautiful it is with your very own eyes."

Bailey turned to bury her face into Regina's neck and she sighed as she ran a hand over the baby's back soothingly. She walked around the main floor, pausing to look at the dozens of pictures of their family that filled the walls. It looked so different than the home she'd grown up in and she knew it was because over the years, she and Emma had made it their own in little ways.

The Christmas tree had been set up in the den just off of the dining room and Regina sat down on the couch, shifting the baby until she laid comfortably in her arms. She could faintly smell the pot of coffee as it brewed in the kitchen and she sighed as she ran her fingers through Bailey's soft curls. She smiled when she heard the soft footsteps approaching from behind and then she turned to look up at her wife.

"Good morning," Emma smiled and she placed both cups of coffee down on the coffee table before bending down to kiss Bailey on the forehead and then Regina on the lips.

"Morning," Regina said softly. "I've already fed her. She was fussing when I got up to go to the bathroom so I just heated up a bottle for her."

"It's early."

"I know," she sighed and Emma sat down next to her. "My mother is coming to watch the kids tonight. I was hoping we could go out, just the two of us?"

"Date night?" Emma asked tiredly. "Can we have a date night where we just sleep and sleep and sleep?"

Regina laughed and shook her head lightly. "Are you really that tired, my love?"

"Little bit," Emma sighed. "Plus, we haven't…you know…"

"Made love?" Regina whispered and Emma nodded, frowning slightly. "Emma, you know that I have been nothing but patient in waiting for you to be ready. It is not as if we haven't been intimate at all."

"But I miss you," Emma said and she ran a hand over Regina's thigh. "I miss us."

"I love you," Regina said and she pulled Emma in for another kiss, one that lingered but didn't get too out of control, not with their baby sleeping in Regina's arms. "Let's put Bailey back to bed. I'm sure we can get an hour alone before the boys get up."

"You sure know how to seduce a woman, babe," Emma winked and she stood up from the couch before taking Bailey from Regina's arms. Regina grabbed the two cups of coffee and followed her wife upstairs, watching from the bedroom doorway as she put Bailey in her crib.

Emma reached out for the cup that Regina handed to her when she stepped out into the hallway and they checked on Nathan first and then Henry before they quietly retreated to their own bedroom. Regina placed her cup on the dresser, watching as Emma took one last sip of her coffee before placing it down next to hers.

Regina smiled as she wrapped her arms around her wife and brought their lips together in a slow yet passionate kiss. In the months since Emma had given birth to their daughter, Regina had never pushed for more than what Emma was ready for, understanding why she was so self-conscious about her body. Regina never failed to tell her every single day how beautiful she was, and she had meant it every time. They had been intimate in small ways, mostly kissing and cuddling in bed, and Regina had been fine with that, but that driving need to make love to her wife was becoming harder to bear, harder to hold back, harder and harder to wait for that very moment when she could ravish her wife just as she used to before.

Emma bit Regina's bottom lip playfully before she lifted her up into her arms with ease. They stared into one another's eyes as Emma carried her the few steps to the bed and slowly lowered her down, smiling as Regina wrapped her legs around Emma's hips and pulled her down on top of her.

Their intimacy had always been intense over the years, more so when they had the house to themselves and didn't need to hold back, to keep quiet. Their recent dry spell had been the longest they'd gone and Regina was so very ready for them to get back to the level of intimacy they were used to having in the bedroom. She didn't want to rush Emma, she didn't want to push her, and she let Emma take the lead despite the growing need that had her clit throbbing and aching for Emma's touch.

They kissed deeply, their hands wandering slowly, touching as if it were the very first time all over again. She thought back to the first time they had ever made love and it felt like a lifetime ago. She remembered the burning passion that had flowed between both of them as they explored each other's bodies intimately for the very first time. Just remembering how each new light caress of fingertips across skin had felt the first time had her arousal pooling in her pajama bottoms.

Emma's lips moved down across Regina's neck and she pulled back as she knelt between Regina's legs and smoothed her hands over her abdomen. Emma grinned as she deftly unbuttoned each button of her pajama top, revealing her body inch by inch. Regina ran her hands over Emma's thighs, stopping at edge of her boxer shorts each time. As Emma popped open the last button and the soft material slid open completely, she inhaled sharply before moving Regina's hands to the hem of the t-shirt she wore.

Regina took her time removing Emma's t-shirt and once it had been tossed to the floor, she swept her hands down Emma's abdomen lightly, her fingertips grazing over the visible stretch marks on her hips that continued down below the waistband of her boxers. Emma frowned slightly, but Regina didn't pull her hands back as she knew Emma wanted her to.

"You are so very beautiful, my love," she whispered. "Every inch of you."

"Regina…"

Regina smoothed her palms up to Emma's breasts, still fuller than they were before she'd gotten pregnant, and still tender as Emma exhaled sharply when her fingers circled over semi-erect nipples ever so lightly. With one hand, she reached up behind Emma's neck and pulled her back down, their lips crushing together almost instantly in a hungry kiss. Emma pressed her body hard down into Regina's, eliciting a moan past Regina's lips before she could stop it.

Emma gripped at Regina's left thigh as she rolled her hips down, kissing her hard and deep as their bodies moved together in an almost desperate need. Emma kissed down her neck, over her collarbone and down over her breasts, each kiss lingering upon her heated flesh. Regina moaned quietly as Emma's tongue teased over a hard nipple, flicking at it lightly before drawing it into her mouth to suck on her hard. Emma grinned as she pulled back, releasing Regina's hard nipple with a soft, audible pop.

"Emma," she murmured softly, watching as Emma's tongue dipped out and trailed a blazing path over her skin to her other breast. She threaded her fingers through Emma's hair as she teased her tongue over the other nipple and scraped her teeth along the sensitive bud before pulling it in between her lips.

Emma grasped at her right breast, gasping softly as she moved to lick over the hard nipple once more. With the tip of her tongue, she descended down the middle of Regina's abdomen, flicking her tongue at her navel as her hand followed the same path. Regina inhaled sharply as Emma's tongue teased over the skin just above her pajama pants and Emma tugged at the drawstring before rubbing a palm over her cunt firmly.

Together they moved up to the top of the bed and Emma continued to tease her, kissing along her lower abdomen while she rubbed her through the thin material of her pants. Regina's body quaked as her arousal heightened and Emma leaned back, kneeling between her legs as she tugged at the pants, pulling them off with ease before she leaned forward to capture Regina's lips in another heated and passionate kiss.

Emma gasped as her bare thigh pressed up against Regina's warm, wet cunt. "Fuck," she murmured against Regina's lips. "You are so wet."

"Hmm."

Emma kissed her harder as her hand slipped between Regina's thighs, her fingers sliding along her folds teasingly. Regina rolled her hips, wanting Emma to touch her more, wanting Emma to slide her fingers deep inside of her to sate her craving need for release. Emma pulled back from her lips, a teasing smile curling over her lips before she began to kiss down her body once more, her fingers teasing over her cunt and avoiding her throbbing clit completely.

Each kiss lingered, but not for long as Emma unhurriedly kissed her way down Regina's body. She smoothed her palms over the inside of Regina's thighs, opening her up wide as she licked the length of her wet cunt. Regina's hands went to Emma's head the moment Emma wrapped her lips around her clit and sucked hard, her tongue flicking against the hard bundle of nerves quickly. Regina threw her head back against the pillows as her body shook at the feel of Emma's mouth on her for the first time in many months. Her toes curled as she lifted her hips, wanting and needing so much more as her orgasm build quickly in her core.

Emma's hands gripped at her inner thighs as she slipped a tongue inside of her. She slipped a hand between her legs, opening her up wide as her tongue licked the length of her cunt, curling as it hit her clit and caused her whole body to twitch at the touch. Emma slipped a finger inside of her deftly as she moved to kiss along her inner thigh, nipping and sucking at the skin until Regina was squirming and moaning quietly with a hand over her mouth to keep from being too loud.

Emma's mouth moved back to her cunt, her tongue licking over her clit hard and fast as she pumped her finger inside of Regina's tight hole deeply. Regina bit at the back of her hand as her orgasm began to thunder through her body suddenly. Emma grinned as she slipped her finger out and licked it clean before she teasingly licked over her sensitive cunt, drawing out her orgasm and each lick caused her whole body to twitch at the touch.

She beckoned Emma back up to her and she smoothed her palms down Emma's back as their lips met in a wanton kiss. She grasped at Emma's ass before slipping her hands under the waistband of her boxers, her nails scrapping along Emma's skin before she grasped her again harder. Regina sat up slowly, kissing her way down Emma's breasts and down the length of her abdomen as she slipped her hands out from inside the boxers and tugged on the waistband, waiting for Emma to give her permission to remove them completely.

Emma gasped and stood up on shaky legs as Regina begin to tug them down her smooth legs and she stepped out of them, kicking them off to the side of the bed as Regina kissed along the top of her pubic bone. She could smell how aroused Emma was and she had to keep from ravishing her completely, knowing Emma needed her to take her time in that very moment. She smiled against Emma's warm skin before she pulled Emma down with her as she laid back on the bed.

To her surprise, Emma pulled her with her as she rolled on to her back and she grasped on to Regina's right wrist and guided it slowly between her legs. Regina kissed her hard and deep as her fingers slipped through Emma's soft curls, loving the way her fingers sunk into her wet cunt.

Regina slicked her fingers over Emma's clit slowly and she reluctantly pulled her hand away as she knelt between Emma's legs. She slipped off her unbuttoned pajama top and cast her eyes down on to her wife laid out naked before her. She licked over her lips salaciously, loving the sight of how gorgeous Emma looked in that very moment. To her, it didn't matter that Emma hadn't shaved her legs nor did it matter that Emma hadn't kept herself neatly groomed as she normally did. All that mattered to her was pleasing her wife for the first time in months.

Regina lifted Emma's left leg up and placed hot, lingering kisses along the inside of her knee. Each press of her lips moved higher up Emma's inner thigh until she moved to lay on her stomach and breathed in the musky arousal coming from between her wife's thighs. Regina licked over her lips before she parted Emma's cunt with her fingers and took the first taste she'd had of her in far too long.

"Regina!" Emma cried out as her hips nearly shot off the bed at the first touch of Regina's tongue against her cunt. "Oh fuck!"

Taking her time to reacquaint herself with her wife, she licked over her slit slowly, drinking in Emma's arousal greedily. She flicked her tongue against Emma's clit before wrapping her lips around it to suck her hard. She inhaled sharply, the smell of Emma's arousal heightened by the mass of light brown curls that covered her sex, and it only made her mouth water and left her wanting to taste her even more.

"Regina," Emma gasped as she ran her fingers through Regina's hair. "Regina?"

"Hmm?"

"Oh god," Emma moaned loudly as Regina slipped her tongue inside her quivering, hot hole. "Baby, your tongue feels fucking amazing."

"And you taste fucking exquisite, my love," she husked as she pulled back to catch her breath. She licked over her lips and looked up at her wife momentarily before she flicked her gaze back down to her wife's cunt and she slicked her fingers over her slippery, swollen clit, loving the soft squeals that escaped past Emma's lips at the touch.

"Babe, come here," Emma murmured as she tried to grasp at Regina's shoulders and arms, but Regina held her position and teasingly licked over her slit and caused Emma's hips to jerk against the bed. "Babe, come here, please?"

"I want to—"

"I'm so close," she whispered. "I need to kiss you."

"Hmm?" Regina moaned as she took one last lick of Emma's cunt before she gave in and crawled up her body. "You need to kiss me, hmm?"

"I need to feel you close," Emma said and she playfully nipped at Regina's wet lips as they molded their bodies together. Regina pressed her thigh hard against Emma's center and kissed her hard and deep to swallow the moan that slipped past Emma's lips.

They rocked together, slowly at first as they kissed passionately, hands grasping at one another tightly until Emma's hips began to move faster and she thrust her own thigh harder between Regina's legs as her hands moved down to grab at Regina's hips tightly. Regina could feel a second orgasm building quickly and she moved with Emma, their thrusts timed and in perfect synchrony with one another. Emma came undone first, moaning into Regina's mouth as her short nails dug into the skin of Regina's hips.

Emma flipped her over on to her back and Regina panted hard as they parted from the kiss and Emma spread her legs wide as she settled down on top of her. She gripped on to her left thigh while holding herself up with her other hand and she thrust her cunt hard against Regina's while staring down intensely into Regina's eyes. Regina's cunt was throbbing with delicious pleasure in the moments before her orgasm hit and she pulled Emma down for a deep kiss to quiet her moans as she came undone completely.

Regina held her close as they laid there together, basking in the moment and both knowing it wouldn't last for much longer as one of the kids would surely wake up at any given moment. Regina stroked her fingers along Emma's spine and smiled, her body sated and her mind, her heart, content.

"Hmm," Emma murmured as she kissed along Regina's collarbone slowly. "I love you."

"I love you," Regina whispered back. "I love you so very much."

"Thank you," Emma said as she lifted her head. "Thank you for being so very patient with me. I have missed this."

"You know that I would wait forever for you, my love," Regina smiled as she lightly ran her fingers through Emma's hair. "I would because you are so very worth it."

"How did I get so lucky?" Emma asked for what might as well have been the millionth time she'd asked that very question over the years. "How did I get so lucky to deserve someone as amazing as you?"

Regina kissed her again, holding on to the moment for as long as she could before the sound of their daughter crying in her crib caused them to pull apart. She kissed Emma on the forehead before rolling Emma over on to her back. She whispered for her to go back to sleep before she slipped out of bed and pulled her pajama's on quickly.

She walked to their daughter's room quietly and nudged open the door, shushing the baby as she leaned over the crib to pick her up. She smiled as she rocked Bailey in her arms, instantly soothing her cries as only a mother could.

Regina had never felt more complete in her whole life. She had a family of her own, a loving wife who had been such a deep part of her life even long before they'd fallen in love with one another. They had travelled along a road, a long winding road full of hardships to get to where they were now, but every moment had been worth it, together and on their own, because it led them to where they were now.

This was her happily ever after. And she would forever chase those sunbeams if they led her to her wife and their family. Forever.

 **The End**

* * *

 ** _I want to take a moment to thank Caryn, because she has always been my best cheerleader, my best critic, and the one who kicks me ass into believing in the story I write always. I want to thank my Big Bang cheerleader Alex, who I made a friend in as well as having someone who thoroughly enjoyed this little (big!) tale of mine. I also want to thank Val (lanoyee) for making art for this story! I am simply in love love love love with it, so thank you so very much!_**

 ** _It's hard to believe that this story came to me one morning on my way home from work on the bus, riding past the lake I live by on a cloudy day and being inspired for this by a single lone sunbeam breaking out of the clouds and shining down and then only moments later to be hit, literally, in the face by a paper flower since it was a very windy day that morning, hence the title that just stuck throughout the whole process of writing this story. I wrote almost 20K that day, along with a rough outline, and I fell in love with the idea of this story that day as well. It became a labour of love, one that took me through NaNoWriMo, surpassing that goal by writing almost double the goal in that month alone._**

 ** _I hope you have enjoyed reading this and hope that you could care to take a moment or two to let me know what you thought of it. It would mean the world to me and would definitely brighten my day :)_**


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